THE UNDERWATER MENACE
EPISODE THREE
by GEOFFREY ORME
first broadcast - 28th January 1967
1. THOUS' CHAMBER
(The DOCTOR and RAMO stand before THOUS, the ruler of Atlantis. ZAROFF enters with some guards.)
THOUS: There is your answer. Do with them what you will!
ZAROFF: So you're just a little man after all, Doctor, like all the rest. You disappoint me.
DOCTOR: You disappoint me, Professor. I didn't think a man of science needed the backing of thugs.
ZAROFF: Have a care, Doctor, your life is in the balance.
DOCTOR: Well you mean you haven't told your own people what's in store for them? Are you afraid, Zaroff?
ZAROFF: I have made a mistake. If I had not interfered with the temple sacrifice, the sharks would have torn you apart. But it's not too late. I'll
return you to Lolem and tell him I need you no longer. And he can have that stupid priest as makeweight.
DOCTOR: No. You've no quarrel with Ramo. I persuaded him to help me. I'm the one to blame.
RAMO: That is not true. I have always distrusted you, Zaroff.
ZAROFF: Take them away!
RAMO: The curse of Amdo be on you!
ZAROFF: Goodbye, Doctor. Have a pleasant journey.
DOCTOR: Let's not say goodbye, Professor. We'll be seeing each other again.
ZAROFF: Not in this world, Doctor.
(The DOCTOR and RAMO are lead away.)
ZAROFF: As always there is nothing to worry about.
THOUS: And there is no truth in this man's argument?
ZAROFF: The man is a fool. Have I not sworn to you that Atlantis shall rise again from the sea? Haven't I? Haven't I?
(THOUS is looking at ZAROFF's eyes.)
ZAROFF: What are you staring at?
THOUS: Nothing, nothing at all.
2. TEMPLE
(The DOCTOR and RAMO are made to kneel before the idol of Amdo.)
DOCTOR: What happens now?
RAMO: First the supplication, and then...
(He looks at a servant with a large sword.)
LOLEM: Accept, oh powerful and mighty Amdo, these, your sacrifices.
DOCTOR: I'm sorry I got you into this, Ramo.
RAMO: We all have to die sometime, Doctor. If it is the will of Amdo, it is inevitable.
(A voice is heard, coming from the idol itself.)
VOICE: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! This is the voice of Amdo. Hear me. Bow down your heads that Amdo may accept your sacrifice. Bow. Let no human eyes
witness this awful moment.
(Terrified, LOLEM and his followers bow their heads.)
DOCTOR: I know that voice.
(The door behind the idol opens. BEN beckons the DOCTOR.)
DOCTOR: (Whispering.) Ramo. Don't be afraid. Get up and follow me. Come on.
VOICE: He who looks on the living face of Amdo shall die. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
(The sound of the scream makes the temple priests look up.)
LOLEM: A miracle! A great and powerful miracle! Amdo has eaten up her victims!
3. A CHAMBER BEHIND THE IDOL
RAMO: Unbelievable. All these years and I never guessed Amdo's secret.
DOCTOR: Oh, I thought I recognised the voice. How on Earth did you manage it?
POLLY: This is linked to the back of Amdo's mouth. It's a bit old but it works.
DOCTOR: It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard in my life.
POLLY: Thanks, Doctor.
BEN: Keep your voices down now, or they'll hear us.
POLLY: No they won't, I put the grill back in.
RAMO: So Amdo was made to trick her worshipers.
DOCTOR: Ben, how did you find this place?
BEN: Oh we found it by chance. A tunnel in the mines leads straight here.
DOCTOR: Jamie!
JAMIE: Doctor! That's Sean, that's Jacko.
4. THOUS' CHAMBER
ZAROFF: So I tell you, it's complete. Everything will be ready in two days from now.
THOUS: To think that after so long, the great day is at hand. We shall surprise the whole of mankind.
ZAROFF: Yes. A very great surprise. Perhaps the greatest ever.
THOUS: I shall order special prayers today.
ZAROFF: Why not? It will keep the people happy.
LOLEM: (From outside.) Let me in!
THOUS: What is the meaning of this, exalted Lolem?
LOLEM: A miracle, mighty Thous, before our very eyes!
ZAROFF: Tell us.
LOLEM: Mighty Amdo, goddess of land and sea, has accepted the sacrifice of the priest, and the little Doctor.
ZAROFF: (Laughing.) Indeed. What a miracle.
LOLEM: They vanished into air before they could be beheaded.
ZAROFF: No. Disappeared, you say? How?
LOLEM: They were in our midst and we bowed our heads in prayer, when we looked again they'd gone.
ZAROFF: You lie, Priest. You allowed them to escape, no?
THOUS: You discredit the mystic power of Amdo?
ZAROFF: I believe what I've seen with my own eyes.
THOUS: The truth, Lolem?
LOLEM: I tell you, the voice of Amdo spoke to us.
ZAROFF: Ha.
LOLEM: The little Doctor no longer lives.
THOUS: Are you certain?
LOLEM: By the spirit of Amdo. By the all-beating heart of living Atlantis.
THOUS: Perhaps he is right. It is a miracle. You may go.
ZAROFF: Yes, go. And pray to Amdo that you are right!
LOLEM: May the wrath of Amdo engulf you!
ZAROFF: I'll take my chance. Get out!
(LOLEM exits.)
THOUS: Is it wise to sow seeds of doubt by discrediting a miracle just now?
ZAROFF: Yes. If the Doctor is at large, he can be an even bigger danger. We must search the whole of Atlantis for him.
THOUS: But Lolem said...
ZAROFF: Maybe Lolem can raise Atlantis again from the sea with his prayers?
THOUS: Give your orders, Zaroff. It shall be as you wish.
ZAROFF: Now you are talking sense again.
5. BEHIND THE IDOL
POLLY: The point is, where do we go from here?
BEN: Yeah, where?
JAMIE: Aye, tell us, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Our course is plain. We must attack Zaroff. He has gone mad. He's bent on destroying the whole world. We've only a short while in which to stop
it.
SEAN: Well just tell us what to do.
DOCTOR: Food.
SEAN: You're hungry, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Hmm?
SEAN: Hungry?
DOCTOR: No, I mean Zaroff and his people cannot exist without food.
RAMO: But there's always plenty of food for everyone. The sea is all around us. The supplies are unlimited.
DOCTOR: Yes, but who provides it?
RAMO: The fish people do.
DOCTOR: The fish people! Exactly. But why? Because they are slaves. But slaves, like worms, can be made to turn.
POLLY: Right. So if you organize the fish people to cut off the supplies... But that's no good, then they'll just go and live off their stocks.
DOCTOR: Tell them, Ramo.
RAMO: We have no stocks.
DOCTOR: Exactly. Zaroff has not yet found the answer to his great problem. All his seafood goes bad in a few hours, and has to be thrown away.
RAMO: That's true.
DOCTOR: And so...
BEN: I get it, we get the fish people to go on strike.
JACKO: Oh, you are dreaming, man.
SEAN: Now hold on a minute, we could try right enough.
POLLY: But what would that do for us?
DOCTOR: What would it do for us? I don't know, really, but it's a start. Do you think you can do it?
SEAN: Well, we'll have a go, Doctor, but it'll take a great gift of the gab to win over the fish people, you know?
DOCTOR: But you are Irish.
SEAN: Ha ha ha. Well, come on laughing boy. Tell me, how can we contact you?
DOCTOR: We make this place our headquarters.
SEAN: Right.
DOCTOR: If nobody's here just leave a message.
POLLY: Good luck.
JACKO: Oh, we'll need it.
(He leaves with SEAN.)
BEN: What are we going to do?
DOCTOR: Kidnap Professor Zaroff!
6. MARKET
DOCTOR: Look alright?
POLLY: Super. Look what I've got on.
DOCTOR: Looks splendid.
ARA: Better than you do. Couldn't you find a better disguise than that?
DOCTOR: What's wrong with it?
ARA: You look like a sailor.
DOCTOR: That's what I'm supposed to be.
ARA: Nothing, keep still.
(POLLY takes a drink from a fountain.)
POLLY: Ugh. Salt water.
DOCTOR: What did you expect? This is Atlantis. Now you know what to do?
POLLY: I think so.
DOCTOR: Wait a minute. Something's gone wrong. Where's Zaroff?
POLLY: He's right.
(Guards appear, but ZAROFF is not with them. The DOCTOR pretends to look inconspicuous. POLLY and ARA head for a nearby carpet stall.)
ARA: Quickly.
(ARA and POLLY hide in a nearby stall.)
ARA: Nola, we need your help.
NOLA: Guards?
POLLY: They're looking for me.
NOLA: Lie down.
(She covers POLLY and ARA with a carpet.)
GUARD: Seen any strangers about, old woman?
NOLA: Everyone's a stranger these days. Why don't they stay away and leave us in peace?
GUARD: What have you got here?
(He goes to prod the carpet with his trident.)
NOLA: How shall I sell my carpets if you stick holes in them?
(The guards laugh and walk away.)
ARA: Are you alright?
POLLY: Yes, thank you very much Nola.
NOLA: Don't waste time, girl, get away while you're safe.
(JAMIE and BEN appear. They are wearing guard uniforms.)
JAMIE: Zaroff's on his way, close behind us.
(A guard appears. BEN grabs the DOCTOR.)
BEN: Hey! Did you see anyone come through the market place?
DOCTOR: A man?
BEN: Yes.
DOCTOR: About five foot nine?
BEN: That's right.
DOCTOR: Black coat, baggy trousers and a bow tie?
BEN: (Trying not to laugh.) Exactly.
DOCTOR: No. As a matter of fact I haven't.
BEN: Okay.
(The guard continues on his way.)
JAMIE: He's gone. We'd better get in position.
BEN: Right.
DOCTOR: Polly!
(POLLY signals back.)
ZAROFF: Where's that man who has been a moment ago?
ARA: What man, sir?
ZAROFF: Answer me, girl.
ARA: I don't know.
ZAROFF: Guard! Search over there.
GUARD: Sir!
ZAROFF: You two come with me.
DOCTOR: Zaroff!
ZAROFF: There he is! There he is! Stop that man!
DOCTOR: Zaroff!
(He runs off into the tunnels.)
ZAROFF: That man - which way did he go?
7. TEMPLE
(The DOCTOR rushes in. The others wait to grab ZAROFF.)
RAMO: Go well?
DOCTOR: Splendid. He's close behind me. I hope I haven't set too hot a pace for him. No. Here he comes.
ZAROFF: He may be here somewhere. Search the temple.
(He spots RAMO.)
ZAROFF: Ah, the renegade priest himself. Guard!
(A brief struggle ensues.)
ZAROFF: Ah, Doctor, at last.
BEN: Right, to the back with him.
ZAROFF: Let go of me!
POLLY: Doctor, now that you've got him, what are you going to do with him?
DOCTOR: You'll see. Come on.
8. BEACH
JACKO: Go on, tell them.
SEAN: Tell them what? I tell them nothing. They're not people like us, they're just a bunch of sardines. You heard me. Cold-blooded fishes. You haven't
got a drop of good red blood in your body.
(The fish people respond to SEAN's taunting.)
SEAN: A flatfish from Galway would have have more guts in them than that bunch.
(From the water shells and stones are flung at SEAN.)
SEAN: Ha ha ha ha. You wouldn't hurt a little child. Ha ha.
JACKO: What would they do?
SEAN: I'll tell them. Alright, alright alright. Oh calm down and listen. Listen will you?
(SEAN's audience of fish people stop and listen.)
SEAN: You supply all the food for Atlantis, right? It can't be stored, right? It goes rotten in a couple of hours. That's why Zaroff has you working
like slaves night and day, right? Well has it never occurred to your little fish brains to stop that supply of food? Feed yourselves, but starve Atlantis, eh?
What do you think will happen then? Well now is your chance. Will you do it?
(The fish people confer.)
SEAN: Or will you stay fish slaves for the rest of your lives? You're men, aren't you? Well start the blockade right now.
(With a splash they head off into the depths.)
JACKO: Reckon they'll do it?
SEAN: Who knows? We can only hope for the best.
9. UNDERWATER
(The fish people communicate amongst themselves.)
10. THE CHAMBER BEHIND AMDO
ZAROFF: I haff underrated you, Doctor. I hardly imagined you would haff the nerve to kidnap Zaroff himself. Ha hahahaha.
BEN: What's so funny?
JAMIE: Aye, what?
POLLY: I don't see what you've got to laugh at.
ZAROFF: Dear lady, if you wish to stop my plans, you are all too late.
RAMO: Too late?
ZAROFF: The process has started. My nuclear reactor is activated, and when the desired figure is reached, fission will take place, and none of all this
will matter for any of us.
DOCTOR: He's only bluffing. Nothing will start without him.
ZAROFF: Ah, Doctor, how do you know that?
DOCTOR: The great Zaroff would have to be there to set off the explosion. Miss your big moment? I think not.
ZAROFF: You cannot hold me. My guards will...
RAMO: ...will never find you, not inside the temple you have defiled, Zaroff.
ZAROFF: You are fools! Idiots! I may kill the lot of you if I... if...
(ZAROFF slumps forward, clutching his chest.)
POLLY: Doctor?
JAMIE: It's a ruse.
POLLY: What's the matter with him?
DOCTOR: Some sort of attack.
BEN: That stopped him. Course he won't be able to go ahead now, will he?
DOCTOR: I don't know. We better make sure.
JAMIE: What would you do?
DOCTOR: Get inside that laboratory.
JAMIE: Then I'm coming with you.
BEN: Yeah, me too.
DOCTOR: Somebody's got to stay here to look after Zaroff.
POLLY: I... I'll stay.
JAMIE: You can't bide here by yourself.
RAMO: I'll stay with her.
DOCTOR: Very well. Come on.
BEN: Right.
POLLY: Take care.
BEN: Yeah.
11. TUNNEL
BEN: Not another thirty?
DOCTOR: This could take some time.
JAMIE: Could we not just slip out?
DOCTOR: I'm not sure. Better duck down here.
12. THE CHAMBER BEHIND AMDO
POLLY: Doesn't seem possible, does it?
RAMO: How?
POLLY: Well look at him. Doesn't look very menacing now, does he?
RAMO: There is still evil in this man, it hangs over him like a shroud. You will pay dearly for your crimes, Zaroff.
ZAROFF: (Weakly.) I know I know. But before I die, priest, you must help me to pray to your god for atonement.
RAMO: Why should I help you?
ZAROFF: Have pity on me. At least help me stand at your side so I may feel the aura of your goodness.
POLLY: I think you should, he does look very ill.
RAMO: It's more than you deserve, Zaroff. But for the blessing of Amdo I will grant you this last request.
(ZAROFF struggles with RAMO. He grabs a spear from the corner of the chamber.)
ZAROFF: And now meddling priest, this is the end of you.
POLLY: Don't! Stop it!
ZAROFF: Die!
POLLY: Aaaaaa!
ZAROFF: You will come with me.
(He grabs POLLY and heads off into a tunnel.)
13. TUNNEL
BEN: You'd have thought of taking that way.
JAMIE: It gets dark in there quick.
DOCTOR: Just a minute, I've had a thought.
JAMIE: What?
DOCTOR: Jamie, you'd better watch Zaroff.
JAMIE: Why?
DOCTOR: Well we need a guide, and only Ramo knows all the passages.
JAMIE: Oh, if you say so, Doctor.
BEN: Doctor, Look!
(RAMO staggers into the tunnel.)
RAMO: Zaroff... ah...
DOCTOR: Come on. Come on.
(They rush to the stricken priest.)
JAMIE: Is he..?
DOCTOR: Yes. Zaroff was having us on.
(JAMIE looks in the temple.)
JAMIE: Polly's gone.
DOCTOR: Zaroff's taken her as a hostage.
BEN: Well let's go!
DOCTOR: No, Ben. Jamie, you go after Polly, only watch out, Zaroff's a desperate man.
JAMIE: Right.
DOCTOR: Ben, you and I have other fish to fry. Come on.
14. TUNNEL
POLLY: Oooh, wait. I can't go on any more.
ZAROFF: You will go on if I haff to drag you. Wait. Did you hear anything?
POLLY: No, nothing.
ZAROFF: Come on.
POLLY: Noooo.
ZAROFF: You want the same treatment as the priest?
POLLY: No.
ZAROFF: Come.
JAMIE: Polly?
(JAMIE grapples with ZAROFF. He is forced to release his hold on POLLY.)
ZAROFF: Wait. Come back here. Come back, I warn you.
(He gets free of JAMIE and runs down a tunnel.)
ZAROFF: A ha ha ha ha.
JAMIE: He's away.
POLLY: Jamie, quickly, we've got to go and warn the Doctor.
JAMIE: Aye, the Doctor's going to find a heap of trouble if Zaroff gets back there first.
JACKO: How do we find the laboratory?
POLLY: Ara, she's the only one we know who knows the way, now you go back to the temple and we'll go and find her.
15. THOUS' CHAMBERS
DAMON: Slaves are in revolt. They've cut off all food supplies.
THOUS: I cannot understand it. Why do they act like this when the hour of triumph is at hand?
DAMON: They're just slaves, what can you expect?
THOUS: Where is Zaroff? He should be here to attend to this.
DAMON: Disappeared.
THOUS: Disappeared? He can't have. Go and look for him.
DAMON: There is no time, Excellency. You must take control now.
THOUS: So be it. I cannot let my people starve. Bring them before me that I may hear their demands.
DAMON: Yes, great Thous, I will tell them.
(DAMON leaves.)
THOUS: All-wise, all-seeing Amdo, help me now.
(Unannounced, ZAROFF enters with two of his guards.)
THOUS: Zaroff! Where have you been? We've been looking for you. The workers are in revolt.
ZAROFF: My guards will restore order.
THOUS: They are simple people. I'm sure they will...
ZAROFF: Those who resist will be killed.
THOUS: Killed?
ZAROFF: I haff no time to waste.
THOUS: Zaroff! You are subject to me in all matters. I will not have my people...
ZAROFF: Your people? Your people? They are MY people now. I hold their whole world in my power.
THOUS: The Doctor was right about you. I order your project stopped at this moment. (To Atlantean guards.) Guards! Take Zaroff to the temple and
hold him there.
ZAROFF: You're a fool! You're a fool! I'll send you to your beloved goddess Amdo to discuss the future of the universe with her.
THOUS: I demand that you...
ZAROFF: You demand? Hahaha You demand? Well since your... since your beloved goddess has developed such an enchanting appetite for people, it is only
fitting that the great Thous should offer himself. No. No, I shall offer him.
(He produces a pistol and fires. THOUS falls to the floor.)
ZAROFF: Kill those two men.
(ZAROFF's guards obey. Two more shots ring out.)
ZAROFF: NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN SHTOP ME NOW!!!!
Next Episode
Doctor Who
PATRICK TROUGHTON
Polly
ANNEKE WILLS
Ben
MICHAEL CRAZE
Jamie
FRAZER HINES
Professor Zaroff
JOSEPH FURST
Ara
CATHERINE HOWE
Ramo
TOM WATSON
Lolem
PETER STEPHENS
Damon
COLIN JEAVONS
Jacko
PAUL ANIL
Sean
P.G.STEPHENS
Thous
NOEL THOMPSON
Nola
ROMA WOODNUTT
Priest
BILL BURRIDGE
Priest
JIMMY MACK
Writer
GEOFFREY ORME
Script Editor
GERRY DAVIS
Producer
INNES LLOYD
Director
JULIA SMITH
Transcribed by
GARY ZIMMER
and THE DANGER GANG
Thanks to Andrew Deans.