THE SPACE MUSEUM
Written by
GLYN JONES
1: INT. TARDIS. CONSOLE ROOM
(The travellers, motionless figures, are illuminated by the still bright column…)
2: EXT. XEROS
(The planet is dry and arid. In front of some hills stand several space rockets of differing shape and design. Next to them is a squat, two-tiered building
with geometrically shaped patterns on the outside and an elaborate radar device on the roof. There is one large entrance to the building. With a roar of its
engines, the TARDIS materialises nearby.)
3: INT. TARDIS. CONSOLE ROOM
(Inside the ship, the four travellers are still immobile, but one strange change has occurred. Instead of their clothes from the time of the crusades, they
are now attired in their normal wear. They slowly come to and start to move, VICKI half-falling over the console. The DOCTOR passes a hand over his brow.)
DOCTOR: Ah! Ahh! Oh, lights!
(He activates a switch and the room is bathed in its normal bright light. IAN and BARBARA are the first to notice that their clothes have changed.)
DOCTOR: Mmm. Oh, that’s better. Ah, good! Well now, we seem to have materialised much quicker than I thought. (He laughs.)
IAN: Doctor, we’ve got our clothes on!
DOCTOR: Well, I should hope so, dear boy. I should hope so!
BARBARA: No Doctor, our ordinary, everyday clothes.
(He looks at his “normal” Edwardian attire.)
DOCTOR: Well, upon my soul, yes! Yes! Now isn’t that extraordinary? Ha ha! Yes, we were wearing those, er, cloaks and things, weren’t we? Well, I
must say, it’s going to save us a lot of bother changing! Ye-es! Now, lets see where we are, shall we?
(Neither IAN nor BARBARA are satisfied with the DOCTOR’S attitude.)
IAN: Doctor! You can’t dismiss it like that! We were standing here in thirteenth century clothes. We can’t suddenly...
DOCTOR: (Interrupting.) My dear boy, it’s over and done with. Now lets forget it! See where we are, come along, pay attention.
VICKI: But Doctor, where are the clothes we were wearing?
DOCTOR: I expect child, they’re hanging up where they’re...s...supposed to be. I, er, if you’re that much concerned, go and have a look!
VICKI: All right. I will.
DOCTOR: And on your way back, bring me glass of water please, I’m very parched.
VICKI: OK
(She walks out to the living area.)
DOCTOR: Oh, dear, dear, dear. Now where were we? All this fussation about a change of clothes. You know, its so simple: it’s time and relativity, my
dear boy! Time and relativity! That’s where the answer lies!
IAN: (Keeping his temper.) I dare say it does Doctor, but we’d be a lot happier if you would explain it to us.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, I know. Well, at the moment there isn’t, er, time. Now, just pay attention, will you? (Looking up at the scanner.) What’s
this?
VICKI: (OOV: From the living area.) Doctor! Our crusading clothes are here.
DOCTOR: Good, good! (To IAN and BARBARA.) There you are, you see? Ye-he-he-es! You see?
(Their faces show that neither of them do see...)
4: INT. TARDIS. LIVING AREA
(VICKI finishes checking in the cupboard which contains their crusader clothes. She walks through a door and up to the food machine. She presses the button
marked “water.” The machine beeps and she takes a glass of water from out of the machine. Suddenly, she drops the glass which smashes on the floor. Before
she can react, the broken pieces of glass rise from the floor, reassemble in mid-air and the water enters the re-formed glass before it rises into the startled
girls hand. She stares at the glass in shock.)
5: INT. TARDIS. CONSOLE ROOM
DOCTOR: Well, the scanners functioning. Looks like desert to me, hmm?
BARBARA: Oh look! Spaceships!
(On the scanner, the multitude of spacecraft appears.)
BARBARA: Well, it’s so quiet, it could be a graveyard.
IAN: Well, more like a launching pad to me.
DOCTOR: Mmm...Hmm!
IAN: Maybe it’s a dumping ground.
DOCTOR: No, I don’t think so, my boy, no. No, er, all those things up there come from a different period.
BARBARA: Well there isn’t any sign of life.
DOCTOR: Mmm...
BARBARA: Look! There’s a building. What do you make of that, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well, I’m afraid I can’t give you any answers here, my dear.
IAN: You mean you want to go and have a closer look, eh?
DOCTOR: Yes, I don’t see why not?
IAN: Mmm..
DOCTOR: After all, the readings say it’s quite safe. Mmm.
BARBARA: Safe? Huh, well the readings don’t always tell us everything, you know!
(The DOCTOR laughs. VICKI walks back in with the glass of water. The DOCTOR takes it and drinks.)
DOCTOR: Oh, thank you, my dear. Thank you, hmm.
(He turns to VICKI with a smile.)
DOCTOR: So you dropped a glass, did you? Mmm?
VICKI: (Still shocked.) Yes, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Well don’t look so concerned, child. It’s quite easily replaced, hmm?
VICKI: Doctor, it doesn’t have to be. It all...came together again and...jumped up into my hand!
(The DOCTOR looks at her but doesn’t react.)
VICKI: Well, if you don’t believe me, you can go and look. There hasn’t been time to clear it up yet.
DOCTOR: Oh, yes, yes, yes, we believe you child, yes. We believe you!
(The DOCTOR’S tone implies otherwise. VICKI turns to IAN and BARBARA.)
VICKI: Honestly, that’s exactly what happened!
BARBARA: You dropped a glass, and...it came together again in your hands?
VICKI: With the water in it!
(The DOCTOR, still looking at the scanner, laughs.)
DOCTOR: Well, look! Look! You see where we’ve landed? On a museum. Mmm?
IAN: A museum?
DOCTOR: Mmm?
BARBARA: A space museum, yes!
DOCTOR: Precisely. If you take a closer look at those objects, you’ll see that some of them are more advanced in design. It’s quite a natural
progression.
IAN: Oh, well, someone must be in charge of them.
DOCTOR: Yes, we shall find that out. (Holding up the glass.) And I’m sure you will agree with me, there are several things we would like an
answer to. So I suggest we go outside and...take a look for ourselves. Hmm?
(He opens the doors. IAN, looking troubled, leads the others out.)
6: EXT. XEROS
(Outside the TARDIS, they look round their uninspiring surroundings.)
IAN: Dust everywhere.
(The DOCTOR exits the TARDIS.)
IAN: Well, maybe you were right about the graveyard.
DOCTOR: Hmm!
(He turns back and locks the door of the TARDIS.)
VICKI: Hey Doctor?
DOCTOR: Mmm?
VICKI: Come here and have a look at this.
(VICKI points down at some small rocks.)
DOCTOR: Well, isn’t that extraordinary? I’ve never seen erosion in such an advanced stage. Hmm! The whole planet appears to be completely dead.
IAN: Dead?
DOCTOR: Non-existent, extinct.
IAN: Oh? I’ve always associated extinction with extreme cold. You know, something like the...dark side of the moon.
DOCTOR: Mmm.
IAN: (To BARBARA.) Haven’t you?
BARBARA: Yes.
DOCTOR: Well, I must say, the atmosphere’s quite pleasant. Mmm?
IAN: Yeah.
BARBARA: Well, maybe it’ll get colder as it gets dark.
DOCTOR: Yes, I think we shall just have to go in search for the answers and...as there’s always the element of danger in the unknown, I suggest we keep
closer together. Is that clear? Hmm?
IAN: Yes.
DOCTOR: Vicki?
VICKI: (Suddenly paying attention.) Oh, er, yes, Doctor!
DOCTOR: Good, good, now I’ll...I’ll take the lead and...lets try and find those buildings we saw on the scanner.
(The DOCTOR starts to walk away. IAN glances down at their feet and pulls him back.)
IAN: Doctor!
DOCTOR: Oh, what is it now, dear boy? Hmm?
IAN: We’re walking on dust. Several inches thick, I’d say.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, so it appears, hmm.
IAN: Then why aren’t we leaving any footprints?
(Indeed, the ground seems untouched. The DOCTOR looks troubled.)
DOCTOR: Yes, that’s curious, isn’t it? Yeah...very curious, hmm!
7: EXT. MUSEUM ENTRANCE
(IAN and BARBARA are the first of the travellers who reach the main double doors of the museum.)
BARBARA: What an extraordinary building!
IAN: Yes. This looks like the only door.
BARBARA: Ahh, no windows either.
(The DOCTOR and VICKI join them.)
DOCTOR: Well, we certainly haven’t met anyone yet, hmm?
VICKI: Maybe there isn’t anybody.
DOCTOR: How are we going to get in there? hmm?
IAN: Well, I don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be any way of opening the door.
BARBARA: Have you noticed something? I mean something very peculiar...
IAN: Well, everything’s peculiar.
DOCTOR: My dear Barbara, if you’ve seen something or somebody, there’s no sense in talking in riddles, is there?
BARBARA: No Doctor, not seen. Its the silence. When we stop talking, there isn’t a sound - listen.
(They do stop talking and, as BARBARA says, no sound can be heard.)
BARBARA: It’s the sort of...silence you can almost hear.
IAN: Mmm. More and more like a graveyard.
DOCTOR: Oh, that’s quite enough. Now stop it. You'll have us all imagining things. There must be an explanation of this little...
(The double doors part open revealing a long bright passage along which two beings can be seen approaching the entrance at a steady pace.)
IAN: There’s someone coming!
DOCTOR: Hide quickly!
VICKI: Where?
DOCTOR: Up against the wall. Quick!
(The four travellers rush to stand up against the wall next to the doors. The two beings can be seen to be powerfully built males, dressed in white uniforms
with identical hair which reaches down in a point on the forehead. They carry on at their slow, deliberate pace towards the doors. The dust of the planet starts
to affect VICKI and she builds up to a sneeze that BARBARA stops. As the two beings move out of the museum, VICKI lets out a loud sneeze. To the travellers
amazement, the two beings do not react but carry on walking away.)
VICKI: I’m sorry! It just came out.
BARBARA: It’s all right, Vicki. They didn’t hear it.
IAN: They were only a few feet away!
BARBARA: I know!
DOCTOR: It’s extremely doubtful that they were both deaf! However, the fact is, they didn’t hear. Now, let’s see what’s in here.
(They enter through the open doors.)
8: INT. MUSEUM. ENTRANCE PASSAGE
(The walls of the museum are all the same bland light tone, interrupted by the odd sliding door. Small scattered display cases contain pieces of machinery
and other exhibits.)
BARBARA: Well, there aren’t any windows.
DOCTOR: No, I think there’s probably something in the atmosphere that, er, has a very slow destructive property, er, hence the lack of windows, Mmm?
BARBARA: Yes, but I don’t understand where the light comes from?
DOCTOR: Oh, I think that might just be some floreps...fl, florescent substance in the, er, walls. Yes, well, I think you two must admit that, er, my
assumption as to where we were, has been proved correct. Mmm?
IAN: Yes, we might almost be in a museum at home.
VICKI: Except that there are no little men following you about telling you not touch things!
DOCTOR: Well you just pretend there are, young lady and keep your hands to yourself! Hmm?
BARBARA: Well, everything seems quite normal.
DOCTOR: Well why not? Why shouldn’t it be? It’s quite natural. After all, you have objects of...historical interest on Earth, so...why not a museum
in space, hmm? I always thought I’d find one someday.
IAN: Those two men we saw must have been guards. Who started all this, do you think, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well, I suppose the answers here somewhere. That’s what we’ve got to find out. Let’s go and have a look in that other room, hmm?
9: INT. MUSEUM. EXHIBIT ROOM
(They walk into a room to the left of the entrance passage. The DOCTOR looks to their right and jumps back.)
DOCTOR: Chesterton!
(IAN and BARBARA react with shock.)
IAN: Can’t be!?
(In front of them is a Dalek! Perfectly still, the creature is on display, complete with a plaque which states “DALEK - PLANET SKARO”. Interested, VICKI
reaches out to it.)
VICKI: So that’s what a Dalek looks like.
DOCTOR: Er, don’t touch, child.
BARBARA: What do you know about them, Vicki?
VICKI: Only what I’ve read in history books; that they invaded Earth about...three hundred years ago, was it?
IAN: We were there, Vicki. That was one of the periods we visited.
DOCTOR: I don’t mind admitting, my boy, that that thing gave me a start! Coming face to face to it again!
(They laugh.)
VICKI: It’s not a bit the way I imagined it. Oh, I mean, the books describe them all right but...well, this one looks quite friendly!
(The DOCTOR and IAN laugh at her innocence.)
BARBARA: Friendly!
IAN: You wouldn’t say that, young lady, if ever we meet them again.
(The DOCTOR gives him a look and walks back into the entrance passage.)
IAN: Which to say the least is very unlikely. I hope!
(The DOCTOR rushes back in.)
DOCTOR: Back - get behind the case!
IAN: What?
DOCTOR: Quick! Quick! Quick! Don’t touch it!
(The four hide behind a large machinery exhibit next to the Dalek. Two more beings enter the room, however these are much younger - hardly more than
teenagers. Dressed in black, they are fair-haired and have eyebrows much higher on their forehead than usual. They cautiously check their surroundings and talk
to each other, but no sound can be heard. After a minute they walk back into the entrance passage. The travellers rise from their hiding place. IAN checks round
the corner.)
IAN: All right. They’ve gone.
VICKI: They were talking!
DOCTOR: Undoubtedly.
BARBARA: Yet we...we didn’t hear a word they said!
IAN: No. Perhaps they have some other means of communication. You know, on a very high frequency, or...
(The others look as if they don’t agree.)
IAN: No? Not very good?
BARBARA: What do you think, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well, I don’t know. Chesterton might have had the answer in what he just said but, er, I doubt it, I doubt it. Come on! Come on!
10: INT. MUSEUM. ENTRANCE PASSAGE
(They walk back into the entrance passage. VICKI walks off to look at an exhibit while BARBARA joins the DOCTOR in looking over a second.)
IAN: Well, they didn’t seem hostile. That’s something to be thankful for.
BARBARA: Oh, I don’t know. Even the Daleks are friendly to some.
IAN: Ho ho! Vicki, yes!
BARBARA: Anyway, even if they are friendly, I doubt if we’ll get much conversation out of them, unless one of you can lip-read.
(On the other side of the passage, VICKI casts a sly look at her companion’s backs, then reaches out to touch an exhibit - instead, her hand passes
straight through it!.)
VICKI: (Alarmed.) Doctor! Doctor!
DOCTOR: (Coming over.) Cha, cha, cha, cha, child! Don’t make so much noise! What’s the matter?
VICKI: I...I touched that thing and...
DOCTOR: I thought I told you not to touch. When are you going to learn to obey me? How you...
BARBARA: All right, Doctor. You can save the scolding ‘til later. Look, can’t you see that Vicki’s upset?
DOCTOR: Upset? Upset? Whatever for? Why are you upset child? What’s the matter? Hmm?
VICKI: I touched that thing and my hand went right through it!
(IAN tries to touch it - with no success.)
VICKI: See? There isn’t anything there, is there?
DOCTOR: Incredible!
VICKI: Well, there is something there, isn’t there? I mean, we can all see it, can’t we?
BARBARA: Yes, of course we can, Vicki.
DOCTOR: That’s strange. Strange indeed. You know, there must be a logical explanation for this somewhere? You know, I think it’s just a matter of
putting two and two together to make three. You know there is...
IAN: Look!
(The two black-dressed youths stand at the end of the passage with a third of their kind, talking silently amongst themselves.)
VICKI: Oh, quick, let’s hide!
BARBARA: Well, where can we hide? Doctor, what shall we do?
DOCTOR: Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Stand exactly where we are!
(The three walk - and silently talk - up the passage towards the four time travellers. One of the youths even turns round and looks over to where the
travellers are stood, but again they do not react to their presence. They walk off.)
IAN: What do you make of that?
DOCTOR: Well, I’ve never known anything in my...in my life. In all my years of time travelling, I...
VICKI: That one...looked straight at me.
DOCTOR: Utterly unbelievable!
VICKI: And he was talking. His...his lips were moving.
DOCTOR: Yes, so strange. And yet we have no communication with them. Hmm!
BARBARA: Well, obviously they couldn’t see us. I mean, we’re...we’re strangers, our clothes are different. If they had seen us, they would
have...made some sign, however slight.
IAN: Right, we’re invisible! That settles it!
DOCTOR: Does it, my boy? Mmm? Does it? Either that or we’re not really here. Mmm?
11: INT. MUSEUM. EXHIBIT ROOM
(Later, IAN and VICKI walk wearily into another exhibit room.)
IAN: Ahh! It’s the biggest museum I’ve ever been in. We must have walked for miles.
VICKI: And all the rooms are exactly the same - just cases and cabinets. I’m beginning to think the Doctor’s wrong.
IAN: Oh?
(The DOCTOR and BARBARA follow them into the room.)
VICKI: Well, how can we find the answer in here?
DOCTOR: I have no idea, my child, but until I say otherwise, we continue the search. Now, let us see what’s in here, hmm?
BARBARA: Oh, same as all the others, I suppose.
(They walk through the room and into another...)
12: INT. MUSEUM. EXHIBIT ROOM
(BARBARA gasps as she enters this room and all four travellers stand amazed. In front of them is the TARDIS! The DOCTOR walks up to it.)
DOCTOR: Good gracious me! Hmm!
IAN: Well, how did that get in here?
BARBARA: Well what does it matter? Look, now that we’ve found the TARDIS, come on, let’s get out of here.
IAN: Yes, I agree, it’s a stroke of luck. Let’s leave at once.
VICKI: I’ve had enough of this place, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Oh! You’ve all decided, have you? Mmm?
(The DOCTOR steps towards...and right through the ship. He stands and waves his arms into, what is for him, thin air. He steps back to his companions.)
DOCTOR: Yes, I’m afraid it’s going to be a little more difficult than that! The mists are beginning to clear slightly. I’m just beginning to see
reason. Where are we? Hmm? Where are we? Hmm?
BARBARA: Well, here, surely?
DOCTOR: Are we? We must have arrived here in the TARDIS sometime. Are we here, hmm? Look!
(He looks across the room. His companions follow his gaze. To their horror, they see four upright glass cases against the far wall and in them are the four
time travellers, stood upright, expressionless and perfectly still...like statues.)
BARBARA: That’s us! That’s not...models or pictures. That’s us!
DOCTOR: Yes, exhibits in a space museum.
IAN: Can you explain it, Doctor?
VICKI: (Stepping forward and thinking aloud.) Time...like space...although a dimension in itself...also has dimensions of its own.
DOCTOR: So you know about it, child? Hmm. We must have a little chat some time, hmm?
VICKI: Yes, you see, we really are in those cases, but we’re also standing here...looking at ourselves...from this dimension.
BARBARA: Well, it’s horrible! Those faces, our faces, just staring...
IAN: Well, at least it explains what’s been happening to us.
DOCTOR: Yes, it does, my boy. And if we’re not there, we can’t leave footprints, break glasses, or touch things, hmm?
IAN: And nobody can see us. I see.
DOCTOR: Oh yes they can, oh yes! They can see us. Where we really are - there!
BARBARA: Is there...is there anyway of getting out of this, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Well, my dear, I suppose we got into it, er, there must be. You know, I don’t mind admitting, I’ve always found it extremely difficult to
solve the fourth dimension. And here we are - face to face with the fourth dimension. You know, I think the TARDIS jumped a time track...and ended up here - in
this fourth dimension. Hmm! It’s extraordinary!
(He walks a few paces away and thinks.)
DOCTOR: It’s inexplicable. No, wait a minute, wait a minute...I think you’re all going to be delighted! I’m going to come up with the
answer...and it’s so simple! Yes! So simple!
BARBARA: How simple?
DOCTOR: All we have to do is to wait here...until we arrive!
BARBARA: (Puzzled.) I beg your pardon?
DOCTOR: You see, my dear, before they actually put us in those glass cases, we must have arrived here sometime in the TARDIS. These people saw us and
thought we were worthy people to be put in their space museum. Then...
BARBARA: I see! I think...
DOCTOR: But nothing has happened to us yet. What we are doing now is taking a glimpse into the future - or what might be or could be the future. All that
leads up to it, is still yet to come.
VICKI: Doctor, look. Why don’t we go and find the TARDIS, the real one I mean and get into it and get out of here, now!
DOCTOR: And end up, one day, my dear, like that? (He points to the cases.) No, we must not. We’ve got to stop it happening.
IAN: Doctor...when will we arrive?
DOCTOR: I don't know, my boy, I...can’t be certain. You see, I’m...quite unable to measure the...time dimension that the TARDIS jumped. But you’ll
notice we’re all wearing the same clothes. Hmm? So it...could be in a few moments, or...a few seconds.
BARBARA: Well, how will we know when we have? Arrived, I mean.
DOCTOR: The cases will disappear and we shall all become visible.
IAN: And from that moment we’ll be in great danger.
DOCTOR: Precisely. So you see we must succeed in stopping them making exhibits of us! Otherwise, well, there it is - that’s how we’re all going to
end up.
(He points to the four sinister cases again.)
BARBARA: Doctor?
DOCTOR: Hmm?
BARBARA: Something strange is happening! I can feel it!
13: INT. TARDIS. CONSOLE ROOM
(Within the ship, the four travellers stand motionless around the console, dressed in their crusader clothes...)
14: EXT. XEROS
(The TARDIS stands on the dusty soil of Xeros...)
15: INT. TARDIS. CONSOLE ROOM
(The travellers are still immobile but now they are dressed in their normal clothes...)
16: INT. TARDIS. LIVING AREA
(The glass of water smashes on the floor. It does not reassemble...)
17: EXT. XEROS
(The two powerful beings dressed in white approach the ship. Seeing it, they try the door. One of them turns round and points to the ground. The travellers
footprints appear in the dust.)
18: INT. MUSEUM. EXHIBIT ROOM
(The four glass cases slowly fade away. The travellers, previously immobile again, come round. BARBARA is the first to spot the change in the room...)
BARBARA: (Panicked and upset.) They’ve gone!
DOCTOR: Yes, my dear...and we’ve arrived!
Next Episode
THE DIMENSIONS OF TIME
Dr. Who
WILLIAM HARTNELL
Ian Chesterton
WILLIAM RUSSELL
Barbara Wright
JACQUELINE HILL
Vicki
MAUREEN O’BRIEN
Sita
PETER SANDERS
Dako
PETER CRAZE
Third Xeron
BILL STARKEY
Morok Guards
LAWRENCE DEAN
KEN NORRIS
Story Editor
DENNIS SPOONER
Title music by
RON GRAINER
with the BBC
Radiophonic Workshop
Designer
SPENCER CHAPMAN
Producer
VERITY LAMBERT
Directed by
MERVYN PINFIELD
(c) BBC tv
Transcribed By
JOHN TOMLINSON