Doctor Who_ Interference_ Book One - Lawrence Miles [93]
[He pauses, for dramatic effect.]
RASSILON: Fire.
* * *
Scene 21. Space
[Around the sun, there’s the hum of building power from the Gallifreyan ships, which we seem to be able to hear despite the fact that we’re in a vacuum. Then, from the prow of each of the vessels, there’s a flash of black. We hear a howling, screaming noise, not unlike die cacophony back at Anathema.
[The sun quivers, seethes and collapses in on itself. Moments later, there’s nothing but a sphere of solid black. Again, we seem to be able to see the black hole even though the laws of physics say this shouldn’t be possible.
[Worryingly, the screaming continues.]
* * *
Scene 22. The Gallifreyan Ship
[A great wave of relief seems to sweep across RASSILON. He collapses back into his throne.]
RASSILON: Well?
[THE ENGINEER’s throne reappears.]
THE ENGINEER: We’ve done it.
RASSILON: The hole…?
THE ENGINEER: Right through the continual strata. We’re going to be the first ones to see what’s on the other side, you know that? If we can get the probe through in one piece.
RASSILON [to himself]: All the power of the outer planes…
THE ENGINEER: Don’t get too excited, will you? We’ve still got a lot of work to do before we can… Wait.
[THE ENGINEER vanishes again, then reappears a few moments later.]
THE ENGINEER: Something’s wrong.
RASSILON: It’s unstable. Tell the rest of the ships to –
THE ENGINEER: No. No, it’s not unstable. There’s… [A look of sheer disbelief crosses his face.]
THE ENGINEER: …life‐signs.
RASSILON: What?
* * *
Scene 23. Space
[The ships still surround the black sun, as if watching for movement. And there is movement. There are shapes in the darkness, pushing against the surface of the sphere.
[We realise they’re the same shapes we saw in the sky over Anathema. Faces. Distorted features. Crippled limbs.]
* * *
Scene 24. The Gallifreyan ship
[The screeching sound continues, almost drowning out the words of the two men on the bridge.]
THE ENGINEER: They’re screaming. The Faction… Rassilon, the Faction was right. There are things… Paradox creatures…
RASSILON: Quiet!
[Through the viewscreen, we can see the surface of the black sun bulging ominously.]
RASSILON: What are they doing?
* * *
Scene 25. Space
[And suddenly the black sun bursts open.
[Things flood out of the sphere. Vast, black shapes, their silhouettes barely visible against the dark background. Great leathery wings flap between the Gallifreyan vessels, sinewy limbs wrapping themselves around the prows of the closest ships. The scream seems to fill up the universe, the howl of something that’s been trapped since the beginning of time.
[We focus on one of the ships, and on the thing that’s attached itself to the vessel’s infrastructure. We get a glimpse of a huge batlike head, raising itself on a scrawny neck and howling into space.]
* * *
Scene 26. The Gallifreyan Ship
[RASSILON is standing, staring through the screen as the flapping things swarm out of the black sun. There are thousands of them, literally thousands, all of them rendered in the best computer graphics the production can afford.]
THE ENGINEER: The Faction was right. The loa…
RASSILON: Those aren’t spirits. Look at them!
[We see one of the things attack a nearby Gallifreyan ship, sinking its teeth into the hull and ripping the vessel open.]
THE ENGINEER: You don’t understand!
[RASSILON turns to face him.]
THE ENGINEER: The readings we’re getting… they’re huge. The things on the other side of the hole… even bigger…
[RASSILON turns back to the viewing screen. We see one particularly large creature pulling itself out of the hole, flexing wings as large as cities.]
RASSILON: There! That’s the swarm leader. If we kill that –
THE ENGINEER: No! You’re not listening! That’s just the biggest of their servants. The Faction was right, don’t you understand? The Faction was right!
SAM [shouts]: Wait!
* * *
Scene 27. Anathema
[SAM turns to MARK. The scene changes in mid‐turn,