Doctor Who: Future (season five)

5.5 - The Good Sontaran

Shoria, The Stathosystem:
A group of Sontarans run across a battlefield.
Krop: Crush the Shorian scum!
Stoyn: Help me brother!
Sontaran Commander: Retreat! There's to many of them! Retreat! Retreat!
Stoyn: Help me! Someone help me!
Sontarans run to Sontaran ship.
-Help me! Please! I want to fight!
The ship begins to fly.
-Help me!
London, Earth 2023:
The TARDIS materialises.
In the TARDIS:
Alex: I mean it Doctor, be nice!
The Doctor: I'm always nice.
They step out of the TARDIS.
The Doctor: Mmm! The smell of pollution!
Alex smiles.
Alex: Rick!
They hug.
Rick: So is this the nutty professor?
The Doctor: Doctor. The. Doctor. One syllable.
Rick: Rick. Also one syllable.
The Doctor: So is he coming in or what?
Rick: HE has a name.
The Doctor: &?
Alex: For gods sake both of you grow up.
Both: I didn't start it.
Alex sighs.
-Yes you did!
Alex's eyes widen.
Alex: How did the Friends theme go?
Both: You wanna go? Come on then.
Alex grabs a bottle of water from a table.
Child: Hey!
Alex: Sorry I'm gonna need this.
She throws the water over them.
Rick: You are so lucky it's the Summer.
Alex: Now we've had our first tantrum can we go somewhere please.
The Doctor & Rick look at each other & laugh.
The Doctor: Where do we all want to go?
Rick: I really don't mind.
The Doctor pulls down the lever.
RUTH WILSON
HOLLY WESTON
MAJID MEHDIZADEH-VALOUJERDY
DOCTOR WHO
THE GOOD SONTARAN
written by LENA MURRAY
On Shoria:
The TARDIS materialises. The Doctor steps out.
The Doctor: It's safe!
Alex & Rick step out.
Rick: So where are we?
The Doctor: Shoria.
Rick: An alien planet?
The Doctor: An alien planet!
Rick: Wow.
Alex: Wish I could do the whole 'first experience' thing all over again.
Rick: Looks a bit like a war zone don't you think?
The Doctor: This place was once known as a Sontaran battlefield.
Rick: Nice?
Alex: Is there any civilisation here at all?
The Doctor: Just over that mountain.
Over the mountain:
The Doctor, Alex & Rick come over the mountain where they see a market place & multiple bars & blacksmiths.
Rick: It's like something out of Star Wars.
Alex: Is that all you think about?
Rick: & football & food & s-
The Doctor: So, who wants to try one of these?
Alex: What is it?
The Doctor: Sort of like an apple but it's not.
Rick: It's an apple that's not an apple.
The Doctor: Basically.
Rick: What's it taste of?
The Doctor: Whatever you want it to taste of.
Rick bites into it.
Rick: I was thinking of chicken! It tastes like chicken!
The Doctor: See!
Rick: What if I get it to taste of dog pooh.
Alex: Ugh really?
He bites into it, he gags, Alex laughs patronisingly.
Rick: I've gone of it now.
Alex: No wonder.
They laugh.
The Doctor: You've only yourself to blame.
Alex: There's a bar there, maybe we could go there?
The Doctor: If I'm correct all the bars & stuff have the same drinks as the zz1 ship.
Alex: They have the Milky Way thing?
The Doctor: Yeah!
Alex: Do they take credits here?
The Doctor: Yep!
Alex: Come on then!
In the space bar:
The Doctor, Alex & Rick are sat at a table, each with a drink.
The Doctor: Not a bad first trip eh?
Rick: Not at all.
Alex: It's nice to go somewhere & not have pepper pots on wheels chasing you or people made of sweets performing morbid operations.
Rick: Pepper pots?
Alex: Daleks.
Rick: Ah.
A robotic figure walks in.
Alex: Cyberman!
The Doctor: What?
Alex: Save me.
The Doctor: Alex, t-that's not a Cyberman.
Alex: It's not?
The Doctor: No, there boralils, they wear metal armour such as Cybermen suits or anything else made of metal to survive in different climates.
Alex: Sorry. I guess they kinda scared me a bit after everything that happened in the power station.
The Doctor: I know.
Alex: Why did you choose me?
The Doctor: What?
Alex: Why did you save me instead of Quira.
The Doctor: I don't know it was just a weird moment.
Alex: How did I even come back from conversion?
The Doctor: Someone called The Wanderer they came to me in the TARDIS.
Alex: Is that even possible?
The Doctor: I don't know who The Wanderer is, I really don't. Why did you ask?
Alex: It was just something that's been on my mind.
The Doctor: I see.
Rick: So, what now? Do we stay here?
The Doctor: Up to you.
Rick: So the TARDIS, it's a time machine too right?
The Doctor: Correct.
Rick: Can we go to somewhere like the dawn of time.
The Doctor: Been there done that, got the T-Shirt.
Alex: Don't I know it.
Suddenly the doors open, a grey bulky armoured figure walks in, they remove their helmet.
The Doctor: Sontaran.
Stoyn: Doctor.
Alex: What are Sontarans?
Rick: Remember those things that invaded Liverpool?
Alex: Oh yeah.
The Doctor: We don't want any trouble.
Stoyn: Don't worry, I shan't be giving you any.
The Doctor: What?
Stoyn: I don't see myself as one of those.
The Doctor: Hang on, your a lone soldier.
Stoyn: Yes. I prefer the lone Sontaran.
The Doctor: Sorry.
Stoyn: You shan't worry Doctor.
The Doctor looks down.
The Doctor: What happened?
Stoyn: I was left here by my squadron.
The Doctor: I see.
Stoyn: I have no strategic value so I-I-
Alex: I what?
Stoyn: End my life.
Rick: Oh my god.
The Doctor: That's...
Alex: Doctor... be nice.
The Doctor: I-I'm sorry you feel that way.
Stoyn: My only problem is, my medallion containing a vial of poison was lost during the fight against The Rutans, will you help me look for it?
The Doctor: I-I-
Alex: Doctor... I think you should deal with this one & Rick & I go back to the diner.
Rick: You ok?
Alex: Yeah... I just need a minute.
Alex & Rick walk away.
The Doctor: Why would you want to do that?
Stoyn: I have no purpose.
The Doctor: But you do... so what your a deserted Sontaran, a good friend of mine, Strax is a lone Sontaran fighting against evil in Victorian London along with a Silurian & her wife.
Stoyn: There is a life away from The Sontaran Mission?
The Doctor: Yes, let me show you.
In the diner:
Rick: You ok?
Alex tears up.
Alex: My brother... Ashton, I lost him to suicide & that Sontaran talking like that just bought it all back to me & just sort of got to me.
He hugs her.
Rick: I'm so sorry.
Alex: The worst thing is... none of us even knew, none of us knew he was at his lowest & then it was too late.
She sighs.
-I should speak to mum, I haven't heard from her in a while a-and dad.
Rick: Maybe if we go to the TARDIS, The Doctor can drop us off whilst The Doctor deals with The Sontaran.
Alex: Yeah.
In the TARDIS:
Stoyn: You really have somewhere you can take me?
The Doctor: Yeah.
Alex & Rick enter the TARDIS.
Alex: I need you to take us home.
The Doctor: What? Your leaving? You've only just come back.
Alex: No, I mean as in I just wanna see mum for a few hours, you can come back after right?
The Doctor: Sure.
On Earth:
The TARDIS materialises, Alex & Rick step out.
Rick: See you in a bit!
Alex: Bye!
The TARDIS dematerialises.
Leah: Alex!
Alex: Mum!
They run & hug.
Leah: Where the hell have you been?
In the TARDIS:
Stoyn: This place you are bringing me... what is it?
The Doctor: Loads of abandoned Sontarans, some are families, they've even got jobs, chefs, carpenters, builders etcetera.
Stoyn: jobs?
The Doctor: Yeah.
Stoyn: You know, on a visit to Earth, I found knitting to be rather amusing.
The Doctor: I'm sure you can do some form of knitting there Stoyn.
On Sontar-Reforma:
The TARDIS materialises, The Doctor & Stoyn step out.
The Doctor: Welcome to Sontar-Reforma, or, Sontaran Salvation Nation.
Stoyn: I see.
The Doctor: All around you are Sontarans abandoned by their squadrons, there IS a life beyond The Sontaran Mission.
Stoyn: Yes, I see it now!
The Doctor smiles.
On Earth:
Leah: Space?! I know aliens exist & all but space?!
Alex: I've seen some amazing things, mum. Creatures from the past, pre-evolutionary humans, an entity made of sweets, an evil nun, men made of metal, potatoes in suits of armour, moving pepper pots. I have seen it all, mum. I-it's changed me.
Leah: Wow.
On Sontar-Reforma:
The Doctor: Go. Be free.
Stoyn: I will, thank you, Doctor.
The Doctor smiles & closes the TARDIS doors, the TARDIS dematerialises.
On Earth:
The TARDIS materialises, Alex & Rick enter.
In the TARDIS:
The Doctor: All good?
Alex: Yeah.
The Doctor: So, what now?
Rick: Can we have a surprise? Like let the TARDIS take us wherever it wants?
The Doctor: Oh, she's gonna love this.
Rick: She?
Alex: The TARDIS is sentient.
Rick: Woah.
The Doctor pulls a lever, the TARDIS dematerialises.
-You ok?
Alex: Yeah.
Rick: If you ever want to talk about your brother, just say the words & I'll listen.
Alex: I love you.
Rick: I love you too.
They smile.
The Doctor: Get a room!
They laugh.

NEXT TIME:
The Doctor: Get in the TARDIS!
Alex: Why?
The Doctor: It's a sleeper bot.
Rick: You mean?
The Doctor: It's programmed to explode when someone comes into close contact!
Rick: Get down!
An explosion goes off.
Rick: How do we get back to our ship.
Luciana: You don't.
Rick: Who is he?
Alex: I see the anger & evil & hatred in your eyes, I'd recognise it anywhere.
Rick: What's going on?!
The Doctor: The ship. It's going to crash land on the planet of Hundor.
Alex: Oh my god.
They all fall to the floor as the ship begins to drop out of the sky.

THE DOCTOR - RUTH WILSON
ALEX HOLT - HOLLY WESTON
RICK HOLDAWAY - MAJID MEHDIZADEH-VALOUJERDY
THE SONTARANS - DAN STARKEY
THE SONTARANS - CHRISTOPHER RYAN
THE RUTANS - NICHOLAS BRIGGS