Doctor Who: The Metal Seas of Venus

Scene 8 - Setting and registering

Barton, carrying the heavy, ticking bomb, approaches the side of the ledge where the beneath his stretches across the vast and endless metal sea. With extreme care, he delicately makes the well-protected bomb slip down to the sea, ending with a huge thump as it lands, but fortunately does not blow. Then, in his other hand, throws the belt-like scanner that registers him on the scanners in the Command Centre down to the sea after the bomb. After an unpleasing smile, he turns to the horizon of the planet before looking back at the base some distance away from his present location. Sided to his feet, a second bomb, which is also ticking away, although this bomb's time to detonation is further away. He realizes that the next sea he plans to plant his bomb is some way away though. The Captain is understanding and rational to The Doctor and his friends, everyone is calm and cool, except for Tyler.

Captain:

Well, I understand entirely from your perspective. I have asked nothing more than the truth, and you have given it to me. As I said, I don't think you look like killers as the registers suggest. In my time, I have encountered many professional killers back in the days of policemen.

Doctor:

Good, good. I am glad you are understanding and sympathizing.

Tyler gives The Doctor another dirty look of anger.

Grace:

Captain sir, Tomson is reporting in from outside the dome on Barton.

Captain:

I'm sorry to interrupt but excuse me. What have you got Grace?

Grace:

Looking at the trackers, Barton is on the edge of the cliffside by the sea, so Tomson should be able to catch up with him easily.

Captain:

Right. Put me in direct contact with Tomson then.

As Tomson reports on the communicator, Vicki turns to Barbara and Ian now delighted that they aren't under suspicion.

Vicki:

Now it's all getting a bit tense in the control room.

Barbara:

You see Vicki, everything works out.

Tyler:

(Rudely) Yeah, well you're still under suspicion from me remember.

The network patches in with Command Centre and the excitable and handsome Tomson.

Captain:

Command Centre reporting to Tomson, what do you have to report?

Tomson:

We are onto his trail now sir, he won't be getting very far on his own for very long. Anyway, if he does run out of air, he will come back to the base anyway.

Captain:

Very good, just take him, remember we have a killer on the loose.

Tomson:

Proceeding with orders received Captain. Leaving now.

The network then closes off, the screen now shows the image of the dome with everyone being registered as a red symbolic dot because of their identification badges.

Tyler:

I think you'll find our killers are standing right before you sir.

Captain:

What have I told you Tyler, we have clear evidence that it was Barton. Anyway, you should be more like Tomson; eager, bold and optimistic.

The Doctor giggled to himself at the Captain's comment, only for Tyler to look even more angered. Somewhere on the lifeless planet, Tomson's crew leads the group forward to catch up with Barton. Then, he spots a faint sort of shape of a man. Using the zoomer option on his spacesuit, he zooms in closer onto what he thinks is a man. Once revealed in its entirety, Tomson can make out that it is Barton.

Tomson:

There he is!