5. Interrogation

Doctor Who Redacted

Episode Five

Written by

Sasha Sienna

FX: BBC SOUNDS STING

SCENE 1

INT. SHABBY HOUSE. THE HOUSE IS DETACHED AND RURAL, WITH NO HUMAN LIFE WITHIN HEARING DISTANCE.

We start the episode with one long, ominous note playing repeatedly.

FX: A rush of footsteps on wooden floorboards. CLEO, SHAWNA and ABBY are blindfolded and their hands are bound.

ROBERTS

Keep moving!

CLEO

Well maybe if I could see!

SHAWNA

You better believe Amnesty are

gonna hear about this!

ABBY

This isn’t funny! I’m my mother’s

carer! She needs me!

ROBERTS

Move!

CLEO

Yeah, we get it, you’re really

tough, shoving young women about.

FX: A door creaks open. CLEO, SHAWNA and ABBY are led downstairs into an empty basement.

The door bangs shut. CLEO immediately bangs loudly on the door as it shout.

CLEO

Let us out of here!

We hear the redacted sound mixed with a soft piano.

CREDITS

Doctor Who Redacted: Episode Five. By Sasha Sienna.

SCENE 2

INT. BASEMENT. THE WALLS AND FLOOR ARE CONCRETE AND IT IS EMPTY, BESIDES CLEO, SHAWNA AND ABBY.

SHAWNA

Oh, this is bad. No this is

properly bad. If they’re gonna

kill us, I wish they’d hurry

up and get on with it. How

long’s it been?

ABBY

Feels like hours.

FX: Clumsy door rattling as ABBY tries to open it with bound hands.

ABBY

Still locked.

CLEO

Well, it’s always worth a try

FX: ABBY hurls herself at the door.

CLEO

Abs! What are you doing?

ABBY

What else are we supposed to do?

Just sit here?

SHAWNA

You’ll hurt yourself.

CLEO

You’re not built for knocking down

doors. I don’t know about you, but

I’m getting out of these cable ties

now.

FX: Sounds of shuffling, huffs of effort and shoes tapping against the concrete floor as CLEO gets her hands in front of her

CLEO

Oh my god, this is worse than yoga

SHAWNA

No, you look really...graceful.

CLEO

You little liar.

ABBY

(sarcastically)

No, really. You look like a gazelle.

Being born.

FX: CLEO stands up with a TRIUMPHANT HUFF.

CLEO

Cirque du soleil can bite me.

She raises her arms over head, slams them down onto her knee and the cable tie snaps.

SHAWNA

Woah. That was seriously hot.

CLEO

I know!

ABBY

That was seriously amazing, where

did you learn to do that?

CLEO

TikTok. (laughs)

SHAWNA

That’s so cool, all it ever shows me

are, like, conspiracy theories and

fruit loaf recipes.

ABBY

Hmm, I wonder why.

SHAWNA

Cleo, can you show me how to do that?

FX: SHAWNA starts hopping about, trying to bring one leg through her bound arms.

CLEO

I might not need to. Hang on.

(pause)

They should have taken my earrings

when they took our phones. Here, give

me your hands, come.

FX: SHAWNA turns to show her hands to CLEO, who bends down and starts scratching at the plastic with her earring.

(PAUSE)

SHAWNA

What if, we like...crossed

a line or something? Found out too

much? Everyone – stop breathing!

They might be pumping nerve agents

through the vents -

CLEO

Girl, you need to go on a YouTube diet,

stop it.

FX: The cable tie starts to slowly break.

ABBY

Shawna, they’re obviously aliens.

CLEO

Wait, what?!

ABBY

I mean, think about it-

CLEO

Do you two hear yourselves sometimes?

(to Shawna)

I think that’s weakened it – see if you

can pull your hands apart now.

FX: sound of a snapping plastic as SHAWNA breaks her cable tie.

SHAWNA

Yes!

CLEO

Yes! Oh thank god. OK, Abs,

quick, your turn now.

FX: cable tie loosening

CLEO

Keep your hands still, babe.

ABBY

Right, sorry, sorry. If aliens were

here, and if they were trying to

remain undetected, and if we have managed

to detect them, then they’d probably

have to do something, like, wipe our

brains, or, or…

SHAWNA

Or make us disappear. Abby, you’re

loving this aren’t you?

CLEO breathes heavily as she keeps trying to break the cable tie.

ABBY

No! What about my mum? And Craig must

be going out of his mind; if I don’t

reply to his texts in like a minute

he freaks out.

CLEO

Girl, that ain’t healthy.

Give that a go.

FX: Snap of plastic as ABBY breaks apart her own cable ties.

ABBY

We did it! Group hug?

CLEO

I think we’ve earned one.

FX: sound of manoeuvring into a warm hug.

CLEO

Right, now where are we?

ABBY

Just hug a little longer…

SHAWNA

That window’s way too high to see

out of.

CLEO

Do you think you could give me

a boost up Shawna?

SHAWNA

Get on my shoulders.

CLEO

Really? Are you sure?

SHAWNA

Well you can’t cycle up Sheffield hills

without getting titanium thighs.

CLEO

I think I’ve seen her drag act once.

Alright come on, let’s give it a go.

FX: sounds of struggling about as SHAWNA kneels down, CLEO climbs onto her back and SHAWNA stands up.

CLEO

Oh wow, Shawna, you weren’t lying about

those legs!

ABBY

Can you see anything?

CLEO

Not much. There’s a lot of field.

Empty field. There’s some trees.

ABBY

What kind?

CLEO

(unsure) Errr...the big kind?

ABBY

Helpful.

CLEO

Right. There’s not a lot else.

Sorry, sorry. There’s not a lot

else. I don’t see any other buildings,

or a road or anything.

SHAWNA

(struggling to hold Cleo)

Can you open it?

CLEO

Hm I don’t think so. Looks like

it was painted shut a few years ago.

There’s bars on the outside anyway.

So yeah sorry, let me down.

FX: SHAWNA breathes out exasperated and lowers herself as CLEO steps down awkwardly.

ABBY

Take my hand.

CLEO

Sorry.

SHAWNA

Are you alright? Are you down?

CLEO jumps down with a thud.

CLEO

Sorry, are you ok?

SHAWNA

(Sighs) Yeah. Well, at least I get

to die with you guys eh. Oh god I

sound like I’m in a Smiths song.

CLEO

Oi. You know me and Abby would never

let anything bad happen to you,

right Abs?

ABBY

Right. Besides, whoever it is that’s

taken us, they wouldn’t have done it

if we weren’t onto something!

CLEO

What are you on about now?

SHAWNA

No that’s true, it’s the blue box!

Whoever these people are, they’re

clearly mixed up in it. I told you

blue box was government agent-

ABBY

It could still be aliens!

SHAWNA

What? Aliens with two hands and

feet who wear cheap aftershave

is it?

CLEO

Girls!

ABBY

Other planets could have aftershave!

CLEO

Girls! Not now, oh my god!

(beat)

Anyway, you kidnap people, you could at

least give them a cuppa. I’m gasping for

one.

SHAWNA

I’d go for something stronger.

CLEO

(chuckles) Yeah.

Then suddenly they all jump in surprise as the door bursts open.

ROBERTS

(menacingly) Get up.

CLEO

Oh my god.

ROBERTS walks over to SHAWNA and starts to drag her out of the room.

SHAWNA

Hey, what are you doing? Get off me!

CLEO

Oi! Shawna!

ABBY

Where are you taking her?

FX: ROBERTS drags SHAWNA across the room and pushes her up the stairs. CLEO and ABBY run after her, trying to pull her back.

SHAWNA

No! Let me go!

CLEO

Leave her alone!

ABBY

Shawna!

FX: ROBERTS and SHAWNA exit and the door slams and locks behind them.

We hear SHAWNA’s muffled shouting from behind the door.

SHAWNA

Let me go! Abby! Cleo!

Back in the basement, we can still hear Shawna shouting in the distance

ABBY

What do you think they’re gonna do

to her?

CLEO

I don’t know, but I’m not waiting

to find out, come on.

FX: CLEO RATTLES THE DOOR

ABBY

Maybe there’s another exit -

CLEO

Shh - do you hear that?

FX: conversation echoing from another room.

ABBY

What is it?

CLEO

It’s Shawna! I can hear her voice.

I think it’s coming through the

ceiling - listen.

SCENE 3

INT. SPARSELY FURNISHED ROOM, SET UP AS AN INTERROGATION ROOM. MILLER IS QUESTIONING SHAWNA.

FX: Dialogue starts muffled and becomes clearer over SHAWNA’s first line, as we move through the ceiling into the interview room. During the scene, there’s the occasional sound of shoes on floorboards as MILLER circles around the room.

MILLER

Do you know why you’re here?

SHAWNA

Because I’ve been kidnapped?

MILLER

(sharply)I’m not interested in your

jokes, Miss Thompson.

SHAWNA

Sorry. Being hilarious just comes

so naturally to me.

MILLER

You and your friends have vivid imaginations.

SHAWNA

You’ve taken us hostage! We haven’t

imagined that have we?

FX: (MILLER stops walking and taps his foot lightly a few times)

MILLER

Your podcast – the Blue Box Files.

Why do you make it?

SHAWNA

Because we think people deserve to

know the truth.

MILLER

And why, exactly, are you claiming

that people are disappearing?

SHAWNA

Because they are! Have you seen the

news recently? There’s a missing

person epidemic.

MILLER

I have, in fact, seen the news recently.

I don’t know what darknet conspiracy

blog you get your so-called ‘news’

from Ms Thompson.

MILLER slams down a stack of newspapers. Dumbstruck, SHAWNA files through them.

SHAWNA

But that’s not – that’s not possible,

it was headline news… It was – I saw

it on all over the front pages, like

yesterday.

(MORE)

SHAWNA shoves the papers away from her

Ominous music starts in the background as SHAWNA refuses to believe what she’s seeing.

SHAWNA (CONT’D)

Nah. This is fake news. Literally. It’s

got to be. I know what the truth is

and you’re not going to gaslight me

into thinking differently.

MILLER

(laughs darkly) Ok. What exactly do

you think the truth is, Miss Thompson?

SHAWNA

That there’s always someone like you

in the background. Who doesn’t care

what happens to anyone else.

FX: MILLER taps his foot again.

SHAWNA (CONT.)

You think you get to control everybody.

Well guess what, you’re not going to

control me..

MILLER

You think you understand all about how

the world works, don’t you? Your version –

that’s the right one. And you’re not interested whatsoever in the

(MORE)

MILLER (CONT’D)

work of this department or the good

we might do, because I am so blatantly

evil, right? Because what – because I’m wearing a uniform?

SHAWNA

Yeah, that’s about right. You’re

obviously working for some shadowy government agency.

(falters)

You’re probably behind all the disappearances.

FX: MILLER’s shoes click against the floor as he slowly circles SHAWNA. He taps his foot again.

MILLER

I’m not the one you should be

frightened of, Shawna. I’m not the

one controlling this blue box of

yours, but someone is, and they are

much, much worse than you understand.

You see, I, and the people I work

with, we’re here to protect good

people. Good people like your

grandmother, for instance.

FX: SHAWNA stands up.

SHAWNA

Leave her alone!

Ominous music continues in the background, long, low notes.

MILLER

If all goes according to plan, then

there’s no reason that your grandmother

ever needs to hear about this…little incident, or from us at all. But if not –

if you don’t co-operate, (pause)

well then I suppose plans change.

Don’t they?

FX: MILLER stops and taps his foot again

SHAWNA

Why do you keep doing that?

MILLER

What?

SHAWNA

When you tap your foot, you keep

looking at that mirror.

(PAUSE)

Ominous music stops.

SHAWNA (CONT’D)

Ah, someone’s watching us, aren’t they?

Are they telling you what to say?

You’re not in charge here, are you?

MILLER

I have the authority to make your

life very difficult, Miss Thompson.

And your grandmother’s.

SHAWNA

Who’s watching us then?

(shouting to the room)

Come here and tell us what you want!

You cowards!

MILLER

Tell me how you and your friends are involved with the blue box and you’ll

find me much more amenable.

(pause)

Tell me what you know about the Doctor.

SHAWNA

Doctor who?

SCENE 4

INT. BASEMENT.

FX: The door opens and ROBERTS shoves SHAWNA inside.

She runs down the stairs and into ABBY’s arms, breathing shakily. CLEO rushes to join them.

ABBY

Shawna! Oh thank god

CLEO

You’re alright, babe. We’ve got you now.

FX: ROBERTS crosses the room and pulls ABBY apart from SHAWNA. He drags ABBY across the basement and up the stairs.

ROBERTS

Your turn!

ABBY

Let go of me!

CLEO

What? Oh my god!

SHAWNA

Abby! Abby you’ll be all right,

just don’t trust them! They’re

liars! Don’t listen to them!

ABBY

Where are you taking me?

ROBERTS

Move!

CLEO

Abby! It’s going to be OK babe!

FX: The door slams shut and locks.

SCENE 5

(SHAWNA sobs)

FX: CLEO walks to SHAWNA and puts an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.

CLEO

Oh, come here babe.

(Pause while SHAWNA catches her breath and CLEO comforts her)

CLEO (CONT’D)

We’re all getting out of this

together Shawna. I promise.

SHAWNA

How are you so calm?

CLEO

What?

SHAWNA

Like it’s just another Tuesday.

Went to Glasgow, got kidnapped.

CLEO

Oh babe, I’m wetting myself too.

SHAWNA

Well you could have fooled me.

CLEO

It’s just…I don’t know, you know

When you’ve got lots on your mind

and your brain’s almost like buffering,

and you don’t actually have the space to have a real breakdown.

SHAWNA

Yeah, yeah.

CLEO

(Beat) Honestly the worst part though,

is for a second I thought I might get

to see my dad again. Like, maybe this is what happened to him, too. And if it was,

at least I’d know, you know.

And then I thought of my mum. Jordan

going missing, then me… And maybe she

didn’t lie to us about Dad, and maybe

he didn’t go off to Marbella with some

bird. And maybe this whole time I’ve

been angry at her about something

she didn’t even do.

Thoughtful music appears in the background, slow synth music.

But then I remembered she doesn’t care.

She wouldn’t care if I was gone. Her

life would be a hell of a lot easier

if

(MORE)

CLEO (CONT’D)

I was gone. So maybe I should go.

I can be with Dad and this would all

be over. Maybe me disappearing would

be better for everyone.

SHAWNA

Cleo it wouldn’t be better. Not for

Jordan. Not for me or for Abby. Never

ever think that.

CLEO

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just, this

is all so much, and now Jordan’s gone

and -

SHAWNA

We’re going to find him. Babe,

I promise.

SHAWNA pulls in CLEO for a big hug.

(pause)

SHAWNA

(sighs) Do you think she’s OK up there?

FX: faint sounds of conversation from the room upstairs.

CLEO

Babe. She’s probably up there interrogating

him.

SHAWNA

(Faint laugh) Yeah, fair.

SCENE 6

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM.

FX: As in Sc3, dialogue starts muffled and becomes clearer over as we move from the cellar to the interview room. MILLER’s shoes click on the floorboards as he slowly paces.

ABBY

Who are you?

(pause)

MILLER

My name is Miller.

ABBY

What are you doing here?

MILLER

I’m keeping people safe, Miss

MacPhail. Whether I’m protecting

you, or protecting people from you,

I’ve yet to determine.

ABBY

But what are you doing here? Like,(whispering) on Earth.

FX: MILLER’s footsteps stop as he pauses. He taps his foot.

MILLER

Where else ought I to be, exactly?

ABBY

(lightly laughing)

OK, well, -I mean, you look pretty

human - but you work for them, don’t

you? The beings that are behind all these abductions?

FX: MILLER’s hand slams down on a table surface. ABBY gasps.

MILLER

(shouting)Am I supposed to believe

that you and your friends are just

playing at Men In Black?

He pauses.

MILLER (CONT.)

(laughs) OK. I’d like to play you

something.

FX: MILLER places a phone down on the table and sets it to play a recorded excerpt of The Blue Box Files.

CLEO

Girl, how do you not know your star

sign? I’m a Scorpio sun, Aries moon

and Leo rising.

ABBY

That explains a lot!

CLEO

Excuse me, what’s that supposed to mean?

SHAWNA

Am I the only one who doesn’t think

my personality is dictated by shapes

in the sky?

It is dictated by the state-sanctioned brainwashing that is the education

system -

ABBY

Ah, but we’re not just talking about

The redacted sound begins

ABBY (CONT’D)

the regular constellations we’re all familiar with. These ones were different. All across the world, people say they saw-

FX: the episode abruptly cuts into the redacted sound. The recording bleeps as it stops playing.

MILLER

What made that sound?

ABBY

That’s not how it used to be.

Something happened to it. It was

a really interesting episode, though,

you’re missing out –

MILLER

Until you drop the act and tell me everything you know, I won’t be letting

you or your friends go anywhere.

(pause)

Do you think your mother can manage

without you for that long?

Miller begins pacing the room again.

ABBY

(scared) What do you mean?

MILLER

I know how much she relies on you.

Is whatever you’re hiding really worth leaving her without the help she needs?

ABBY

What do you want?

MILLER

Tell me what you know about the Doctor.

ABBY

What are you talking about?

MILLER

I know you must think you’re being

very clever, Miss McPhail. But this

stops now.

ABBY

No, seriously, I don’t know what

you’re talking about.

MILLER

Penny Carter. Oliver Morgenstern.

Rani Chandra. All of these people disappeared immediately after crossing

your path.

ABBY

No, that’s not…

(she thinks for a moment)

oh my god…(beat)

Music begins to play, echoing Abby’s confusion.

ABBY (CONT’D)

Sorry, no, no that’s not us –

that’s – well we don’t know but

it has something to do with this

Blue Box.

MILLER

It’s called a TARDIS. But the Doctor doesn’t go around kidnapping people,

Miss McPhail. The Doctor doesn’t erase people from history.

ABBY

We just want to go home.

MILLER

Your going home depends on your answer

to a very simple question, Miss McPhail. What have you done to the Doctor?

Music builds dramatically and then slowly fades into the next scene.

SCENE 7INT.BASEMENT.

FX: Door opens. ABBY is ushered into the room by ROBERTS.

SHAWNA

Abby! Are you alright?

CLEO

Oh my god!

ABBY

Yeah, I think so. They just kept asking

me the same question over and over

about…erm…someone… I can’t remember.

ROBERTS

(forcefully to Cleo) You, up.

CLEO

Yeah alright babe, I can walk myself

I’m not a dog.

FX: CLEO and ROBERTS walk up the stairs and the door closes behind them.

Music quickly builds then fades into the next scene.

SCENE 8

CLEO IS SAT ALONE IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM.

FX: The door swings open and MILLER walks in.

MILLER

Cleo Proctor. You know, your friends

have already been very informative.

CLEO

Ha, try again mate. You know we can hear

you from downstairs, right?

FX: MILLER taps his foot

CLEO (CONT.)

Shawna said you do that a lot. She

reckons you’re signalling someone.

MILLER

Tell me why you and your friends

started TheBlue Box Files.

CLEO

Oh, you know how it is. All the

really glamorous mysteries already

had their own shows already.

MILLER

Perhaps you’re being paid by

someone else. Someone with influence?

Money?

CLEO

(laughing)Yeah, right, because anyone

with money wants to spend it

listening to three queer women chat

about conspiracies all day. Babe, if

we had money don’t you think we’d have better production values?

(BEAT)

MILLER

You grew up on the Powell Estate,

didn’t you?

CLEO

Yeah, so?

MILLER

A lot of the flats there are empty.

CLEO

Look, if you want to talk about

London’s social housing crisis,

I’m your girl.

MILLER

There are an unusually high number

of missing person’s reports filed

from residents of that estate.

CLEO

Duh, that’s what you get through

decades of underfunding in social

services.

MILLER

Are you aware that one of these was

filed by your mother? For a Jordan

Proctor?

CLEO

Obviously, he’s my brother.

MILLER

He was last seen on the Powell Estate

five days ago. Your mother still

lives there. But I notice you moved

out some time ago. And your brother

followed shortly after.

CLEO

Do you really think I’m involved

with this? You’re so far off the

mark it’s funny.

MILLER

Did you convince your friends to

use your podcast to investigate

these disappearances?

CLEO

Oh my god, does nobody evenlisten

to our podcast? I’m not even the

one who believes in all this stuff!

I’m literally just there for the

hilarious quips.

MILLER

And that would be the perfect act,

wouldn’t it?

CLEO

Babe, we’re not sharing state secrets

are we? We’re just going off about urban

legends.

(BEAT)

Do you know what happened to him?

MILLER

Who?

CLEO

My brother. Jordan.

MILLER

I’m the one asking the questions

Miss Proctor.

CLEO

Yeah right. So you don’t. Got it.

MILLER

Listen to me very carefully. Whatever

you’re mixed up in, whoever you’re

working with, is truly dangerous. If

I were you, Miss Proctor, I would be

very, very scared.

CLEO

Scared? You’re telling me I should be scared? I’m a trans woman who’s just

been abducted by some shady men in suits. I’m terrified babe! But so what? I’m scared every time I have to use a public toilet,

but I still do it. Being scared’s nothing. And now you want me to think you’re gonna protect me? (laughs) Yeah if fear’s all you got, you can’t touch me.

BEAT of silence as this speech hangs in the air. MILLER walks takes a few slow steps round the room as this sinks in.

MILLER

You’re right. I’m sorry. Of course,

you’re right.

MILLER slumps down into a chair, defeated.

CLEO

Er, are you alright babe?

You just got like way less police

brutality and about way more

pencil-pusher.

MILLER

No, I’m not alright.

CLEO

I’m not going to bite.

Probably.

MILLER

It’s the Doctor.

CLEO

What did you just say?

MILLER

(not really listening to Cleo)

She’s supposed to be here. She’s

supposed to fix things like this.

Or stop them from ever happening.

Or ever having happened. But all the

intel we have suggests that she’s behind

it somehow. And I don’t know why.

CLEO

Wait, wait, wait. Are we talking about

the same Doctor? The one normally seen

with a Blue Box. What did Rani call it –

a TARDIS? A TARDIS! I thought she was

Mrs Collateral Damage or something.

Lord knows she’s got the body count for

it.

MILLER

(suddenly paying attention)

You know about the Doctor?

CLEO

Yes! Finally! Oh my god every time

I tell anyone about her, they just –

MILLER

(finishing Cleo’s sentence)

- Completely forget. I was starting

to think I was going mad.

CLEO

You and me both. Though I hadn’t quite

stepped it up to kidnapping people.

Very softly, the REDACTED sound effect begins to build throughout this scene as the tension in the music rises.

MILLER

(scared)It’s just: if something has

happened to the Doctor, if someone’s

done something to her, like brainwashed

her or something, then it’s not just a couple dozen disappearances we’re going

to have worry about. This could be the

end of the human race.

CLEO

Yeah, you’re back to sounding crazy

again.

(BEAT)

What are you smiling about anyway?

Is this an: “I’ve lost it and I’m about

to get out the chainsaw” smile or “I’ve

decided Cleo’s really earned a cuppa” situation?

MILLER

It’s just such a relief. You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve been looking for anyone who remembers her –

The REDACTED sound effect rises like a wave, muffling Miller’s last few words.

CLEO

Are you ok?

Now all of Miller’s words are muffled and he’s slowly repeating himself.

MILLER

It’s just such a relief. You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve been looking for anyone who remembers her –

CLEO

Wait, what’s happening to you?

MILLER

Even Kate’s forgotten –

(Miller repeats forgotten and it echoes as if in a loop)

CLEO

What’s happening?

The REDACTED sound gets louder then suddenly stops.

MILLER

(SCREAMING)

HELP! (STATIC) CLEO! (STATIC) HELP ME!

The REDACTED sound effect gets unbearably loud.

CLEO

I don’t know how! I don’t know what

to do!! Tell me how to help you, I don’t

know!

MILLER

HELP ME!

CLEO

Oh my god help!

MILLER

(A TERRIBLE, DISTORTED SCREAM)

CLEO

HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! I don’t know

what’s happening, I don’t know his

name. Oh my god - HELP!!

FX: we hear a small, supernatural rush of air as MILLER disappears in front of CLEO’s eyes.

FX: Door opens and KATE STEWART enters.

KATE

Miss Proctor. I need you to calm down

or we will have to restrain you..

CLEO

(frantic)Who are you? What the hell

just happened to that man??

KATE

My name is­­­ Kate Stewart. I’m Chief Scientific Officer at UNIT, or whatever’s left of it.

CLEO

Where’s he gone??

FX: Kate sits down.

KATE

Take a deep breath and explain.

(Beat)

What man?

CLEO

The man who was just in here interrogating me! Where is he?

KATE

There was nobody in here with you.

Who do you think you saw? Did he look

like your brother?

CLEO

What? No! He was, tall, bit of a belly, balding, brown hair, brown eyes. He was RIGHT here!

KATE

You believe you heard him speak to you?

CLEO

He did speak to me!

KATE

If you’ll just calm down -

CLEO

Calm down?! A person just disappeared

Right in front of my eyes! I’m not talking to anyone until I see my friends. I need to know they’re still here.

KATE

If I bring your friends up, will you

sit down and have a reasonable

conversation with me?

CLEO

If you’ve done anything to them -

FX: Brief static sound as KATE activates a communication device.

KATE

Roberts, would you please bring the

other two girls upstairs?

FX: Roberts muffled reply on the radio.

KATE (CONT’D)

Now, Miss Proctor, tell me about

The Blue Box Files.

CLEO

What’s happening right now?

FX: The door opens. ROBERTS enters with ABBY and SHAWNA.

ROBERTS

(to Shawna and Abby) Move!

CLEO

Guys you’re OK!

ABBY

Cleo, what happened? Are you alright?

KATE

Thank you for joining us.

FX: The door closes.

SHAWNA

Who are you?

KATE

I can explain everything, my name

is Kate Stewart, I’m Chief Scientific Officer at UNIT. And we all need to

de-escalate this situation.

SHAWNA

(to Kate) What have you done to her?

CLEO

No, I’m alright babe, I’m alright.

ABBY

Yeah?

CLEO

I was talking to that man and he just, he disappeared right in front of me-

SHAWNA

What man?

CLEO

Oh you’ve got to be joking girls?

KATE

Ladies. Enough. I’m afraid we find

ourselves in something of an emergency.

So please: what is the blue box? What

does it do? And who is behind it?

CLEO

It’s called a TARDIS. And it always

shows up with some person called the

Doctor. But that’s all I know,

I promise.

ROBERTS

(exasperated) You can’t expect us to

believe that.

KATE

(SHARP)

Roberts, I’m running this interrogation

CLEO

I’m telling the truth! Look I was

just talking to your man about this.

ABBY

Cleo, what are you talking about?

ROBERTS

I’m done with your games. This is a

matter of national security, so let’s

handle it as such.

We hear rustling, as if from a bag.

You clearly don’t care about protecting yourselves, so let’s see how much you

care about protecting each other.

FX: Click of a gun being unholstered and the safety being turned off.

Tense music starts as ROBERTS points a gun at the girls.

ABBY

No!

KATE

(furious)

Roberts – what the HELL do you think

you’re doing?

ROBERTS

Getting answers.

KATE

This is not how we do things,

sergeant. Stand. Down.

ROBERTS

Can’t do that ma’am. I don’t like

this any more than you do.

ROBERTS takes slow steps towards the girls.

CLEO

Alright, can we all just chill out for

a second please?

KATE

Roberts, you’re looking at a Court

Martial.

ROBERTS

Small price to save the world, ma’am.

FX: KATE MOVING TO PROTECT THE GIRLS

KATE

Right everyone, get back. Don’t worry –

he’s not going to use that thing.

ROBERTS

Tell us what we need to know.

ABBY

Hold on. I don’t understand. What do

you want from us? We hardly know anything!

(PAUSE)

CLEO

Yeah, hold up - she’s right. We know barely anything, so what do you want with us?

It’s ‘cause you know nothing, isn’t

it? You didn’t even know who the Doctor

is.

SHAWNA

Wait – what Doctor?

KATE

Ms Procter, now is not the time -

The music starts to build into a heroic tune, as CLEO realises she has the upper hand.

CLEO

That’s why you’re not getting anywhere –

you don’t even know what to ask!

You’re running scared.

FX: sound of a gun cocking

ROBERTS

Give us the information we need,

or I shoot.

KATE

Roberts I would really prefer not to

have to incapacitate you.

ROBERTS

No hard feelings ma’am. Desperate

times, desperate measures

CLEO

Go on then, do it.

FX: Cleo walks up to Roberts

KATE

CLEO!

ABBY

DON’T SHOOT! DO NOT SHOOT!

SHAWNA

CLEO GET AWAY FROM THE GUN!

CLEO

(To others)

It’s fine, he’s not going to shoot me.

(MORE)

CLEO (CONT’D)

(To Roberts)

Because you need us, don’t you? You

don’t even know who The Doctor is.

You’ve forgotten everything. We’re

literally your only hope.

(BEAT)

The music fades.

CLEO (CONT’D)

We’re in charge now, babes.

END OF EPISODE.

The low bassy surge of the Redacted Main Theme comes in, with its distinctive siren-like synths, rushing into a sudden glitch that dips into a slow, soft piano tune.

CREDITS

Doctor Who Redacted: Episode Five,

by Sasha Sienna.

The piano tune keeps going for a moment before picking up the pass with a big beat of drums, strings and synths that turns into the Main Theme tune, a symphony of synths and strings revelling in alien weirdness.

CREDITS

Starring: Charlie Craggs, Lois Chimimba, Holly Quin-Ankrah, Jemma Redgrave, Pip Gladwin and Karim Kronfli.

Directed and produced by Ella Watts.

Sound design by David Thomas and Arlie Adlington. Original composition by David Devereux.

A BBC Studios production.

With a rush like the TARDIS, the main theme music gets even bigger and louder, turning into a big, bright, fast paced melody that plays to the end of the episode, when it stops abruptly with a sharp glitch which ends with a beep.