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| - Script for Seek-Locate-Destroy by Terry Nation (c) 1977 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Series created by Terry Nation. This is a partial dialogue transcript for research purposes and is not for sale under any circumstances. Format (c) 1992 by Tommy Persson, Susan Beth Schnitger, Didi Johnson, and Micky DuPree. Dramatis Personae Roj Blake Jenna Stannis Kerr Avon Vila Restal Servalan Cally Travis Olag Gan Zen Prell Bercol Rontane Rai Escon Eldon Uncredited: Male voice (Public Address) Second male voice [Planet Centero. Outside what looks like a manufacturing plant.] P.A.: Attention, please. This is planet Centero communications base control. Routine robot surveillance is now in operation. [A mobile robot rolls by, swivels its head, then moves on. Blake materializes, looks about then runs to take cover. He moves deeper into the building as he hears the robot approaching, brushing by a hanging cable as he goes. The robot shoots a stream of flames onto the still swinging cable just seconds later.] BLAKE [into bracelet] I'm down and safe. I'm somewhere inside the main complex. Is Vila ready? [Liberator teleport room. Jenna is at the controls, Vila is standing near her with his open box of tools. Gan and Cally are nearby.] JENNA [into comm] Hold on, just checking. [to Vila] Are you ready? VILA Tell him I've just worked out a completely new strategy. It's called running away. JENNA He's ready. BLAKE [v.o.] Put him down. JENNA [into comm] Standby. [Vila is putting some tools back inside his box and fumbling with the lid.] GAN Come on, Vila! [Vila gets the box closed and moves into the teleport bay.] JENNA Ready? [Vila nods resignedly.] I'm putting him down -- now. [Vila dematerializes.] [Centero. Vila materializes in the same place as Blake had earlier. He looks about, then starts running in the exact opposite of the direction Blake took.] BLAKE [beckoning] Vila, over here. [Vila runs to join him.] VILA Where are we? BLAKE Shhh, no noise. There's a security robot patrolling the area. As far as I can tell we're in the outer compound. Top security section should be back that way. Now, stay close to me and keep your head down. VILA [hopefully] Why don't I stay here and keep watch? BLAKE Come on. [They run, pass alongside a wall and come to a gate in a chain-link fence. A sign on the gate reads "TOP SECURITY."] BLAKE There it is. That must be the way in. Can you open those gates or are we going to have to climb them? VILA You won't get over it. That'll have every detector device you can imagine, and a few more besides. I'll have to get a closer look at the locking system. BLAKE All right, I'll keep watch. [Vila moves over to the gate, pausing first to try a set of locked doors nearby. He shrugs at Blake who motions him on to the gate. Vila eyes the gate, opens his box and applies a tool to the inside of a panel he opens. There is a large electric spark and the end bit of his tool is burnt off. Vila looks at it in disgust and replaces it in his box. Blake hears the robot approaching and flattens to the ground.] BLAKE [calling softly] Vila, take cover. [Vila keeps working on the panel.] BLAKE Vila! [Vila reaches into his box. The robot passes by. Blake looks over at the gate -- no Vila in sight. Blake runs over to the gate and looks around.] BLAKE Vila? [Vila sticks his head out of the doors he'd checked earlier.] VILA Has it gone? BLAKE How did you get in there? VILA There isn't a lock I can't open -- if I'm scared enough. BLAKE Are you scared enough for that one? VILA What do you think? [Both move over to the gate and look at it. Vila sets back to work with a couple of tools.] BLAKE How does it work? VILA Anybody authorized to go through the gate has a physio-psycho pattern registered in the central computer. [Hands one of the tools to Blake.] Hold this. When he wants to go through, this scans him and feeds the reading back to the computer. All you've got to do is intercept the feedback from the computer. [Vila holds one finger on a component inside the panel.] Now, you stand in front and I'll press the scan button. [Vila presses a red button with his other hand. Blake's face is illuminated by a red light.] Retrieval system, no record, refusal signal, now. [Vila pulls his hand away from the panel. The light on Blake's face changes to green, there's a buzz, and the gate swings open.] BLAKE Nice going. VILA Any very talented person could have done it. BLAKE Come on. [Blake enters. Vila starts to follow with his tool box but hears a beeping from the gate controls so pauses to close the panel he'd opened. They run inside, slipping safely behind a patrol group. They see two guards at a door. Blake whispers to Vila who nods, then approaches the guards.] VILA Hello there. How are you? Excuse me wandering about your premises but I wonder if you can help me. I'm an escaped prisoner. I was a thief but recently I've become interested in sabotage, in a small way you understand, nothing too ambitious, I hate vulgarity, don't you? Anyway, I've come to blow something up. What do you think will be most suitable? [Throughout this babbling the guards have been looking back and forth at him and each other in disbelief. Blake slips up behind them from the other side and takes out one of the guards. Vila bashes the other with his tool box.] GUARDS Agh! [Blake runs inside. Vila starts to follow then stays with the guards.] VILA Blake, don't leave me. [Blake moves down corridors, draws his weapon and looks around. Back at the door, Vila arranges the two unconscious guards into a seated position leaning against each other, then enters the building. He looks around in a corridor.] BLAKE [calls softly] Oy. [Vila jumps as Blake comes up behind him.] VILA Oh, you gave me such a shock, you did.... [Teleport room. Avon and Cally are holding mines which Gan packs into a carry bag, Jenna is at the controls.] AVON All you've got to do with these is find a metal surface and they'll stick fast. GAN Right. CALLY They're taking too long. AVON That's the trouble with heroics. They seldom run to schedule. JENNA They'll find it. There's not going to be a sign up there saying "This way to the cipher room." GAN They may need help. CALLY I think so, too. AVON They would have called in. JENNA Avon's right. AVON [looks over at Jenna] I usually am. JENNA Blake says wait so we wait. [Corridor outside Cipher Room. Blake and Vila move cautiously down the corridor then duck into cover as Prell wheels a dolly out of the room. He leaves it in the corridor and returns inside. Blake mouths something to Vila then bursts into the room and points his weapon at the technicians and guard inside.] BLAKE Stand still! Vila, get his gun. [Vila takes the gun from the guard and herds the others with it.] VILA All right, all of you, over there, against the wall, quickly. BLAKE [into bracelet] Jenna, we found it. Standby. [Teleport room] BLAKE [v.o.] Phase one is now complete. Get an absolute locator fix on my signal. As soon as you are set, put them down. [Gan, Cally and Avon move over to the teleport controls.] JENNA Right. AVON It had better be right. A fraction out and you could put us down in the middle of the security barracks. JENNA Don't tempt me. [Jenna is using a panel with an indicator light.] JENNA Blake, can you give me a voice check? BLAKE [v.o.] Reading out. [The light moves as he speaks, then comes to a stop.] One, two, three, four. One, two-- JENNA Right, that's it, got it. Locked on. [to others] Ready? [Avon, Cally and Gan enter the teleport bay.] Good luck. I'm putting them down -- now. [Cipher room. Avon, Cally and Gan materialize.] BLAKE [to Avon] Now do you know what you're looking for? AVON [shortly] Yes. [Moves off towards the equipment.] BLAKE [to Gan] All the equipment here? GAN All here. BLAKE [into bracelet] Down and safe. Well done, Jenna. [Teleport room. Jenna smiles and sits back, making notes on a pad.] [Cipher room] BLAKE Vila, back down to the entrance: keep the door covered. Cally, Gan, get the prisoners out of here, find somewhere to hold them. Cally, you stay with them. Gan, when you've started setting charges come back in here. GAN Right. [Gan and Cally leave, herding the techs and guard before them.] AVON Blake! [Blake joins Avon, and looks inside an opened panel.] This is it. BLAKE You're sure? AVON It's been updated since the last one I saw, but it's still the same basic instrument. BLAKE You're absolutely positive? AVON Yes. BLAKE Good, disconnect it. [Avon starts to work.] [Storage room with shelves of bins, etc. Cally and Gan herd their prisoners inside.] CALLY Move on, move on, stand facing those racks. [Gan pushes the men up against the rack, pats their arms into position.] And keep your hands up. GAN Can you handle it, Cally? [Cally nods, Gan leaves the room.] CALLY Now then. Don't move. [Corridor. Gan sticks two mines to walls and activates them.] [Cipher room. Avon is working, Gan comes in quickly startling Blake who aims his weapon at him before recognizing Gan.] GAN I've set the charges down the corridor. BLAKE All right, set a couple in here. GAN Two? One would be sufficient. BLAKE I want total destruction so nothing can be recognized. If they sort through the debris and find the cipher machine is missing all they'll do is change their code and we'll have wasted our time. [Storage room. Cally moves over to the door and peers out. Prell reaches one hand slowly towards a canister on the shelf before him but puts it back up empty when Cally moves towards the prisoners again.] [Cipher room. Gan is starting to attach a mine to a wall.] BLAKE Way over there. [Indicates the other side of the room and Gan sets the mine.] AVON Gan. [Gan moves over to help Avon who hands him a tool.] [Outside the door. One of the guards has come to. Vila sees the robot approaching and takes cover. The guard runs to trigger a switch. Vila chases him and knocks him out, but too late to keep the alarm from going off.] [Cipher room. Blake is standing at the open door. The alarm can be heard.] BLAKE That's done it. Gan, watch the door. [Blake shuts the door, Gan moves over to it as Blake crosses to Avon.] BLAKE [to Avon] How are you doing? AVON [grunts] Well, the main holders are released but I still can't get it free. BLAKE Here. [He tries in vain to pull the cipher gizmo free.] AVON It's secured by something that I can't quite fathom. Gan! [Gan joins them] GAN You better stand back. [He reaches into the panel and grapples with the device, grimacing with strain.] BLAKE Avon, keep an eye on the door. [Avon moves over to the door.] BLAKE [Checks his timer] Come on, Gan, hurry it up, hurry up. [Storage room. Vila pops in.] VILA Cally. CALLY What? VILA I've just been spotted. The alarms are ringing. I thought you ought to know. [exits] [Cally sees Prell reaching toward the shelf, and moves toward him. He withdraws his hand.] CALLY I thought I told you not to move. [Cipher room. Vila bursts in, Avon aims his weapon at him.] AVON What are you doing here? VILA What do you think? BLAKE Lock the door! [Vila slides a bolt just as a guard reaches the door.] BLAKE Get down, both of you. [Blake blasts the guard through the door. Blake, Vila and Avon push a cabinet in front of the doorway to block it.] BLAKE [to Gan] How are you doing? GAN I've broken two connections, just two to go. BLAKE You've got one minute left. [into bracelet] Stand by, Jenna, we may have to get out of here very fast. [Storage room. Cally moves in front of a set of shelves. She looks over at the door when she hears some guards running past, and Prell grabs the canister and throws it at her, knocking her back. PRELL [to other prisoners] Come on, get her! [They rush her, and Prell grapples with her, holding her until the guard knocks her out.] PRELL [to guard] Right, you watch her. [to other techs] You three come with me. [They exit. The guard removes Cally's gun.] P.A.: Attention, please. This is base control, red alert! All security personnel to report to number one command post immediately. [Outside building. A squad of guards jog by.] [Storage room. Cally attacks the guard. They fight, she wins and knocks him out. She realizes her bracelet has come off and starts searching for it, around and behind the racks.] [Cipher room. Gan bends back a sheet of metal and pulls the cipher device free.] GAN Got it! BLAKE Right, everything into the bags. [into bracelet] Jenna, stand by to bring us up in, about, twenty seconds. [Shots of Cally still searching, overlaid by the timer on a mine ticking down.] Now! [Blake, Avon, Vila and Gan dematerialize.] [Shots of Cally still searching, the timer reaching zero, explosions, fire, Cally's body lying behind the fallen rack, her bracelet lying beside her.] [Teleport room] JENNA [lays device on control panel] So you got it. BLAKE It was close though. AVON Too close. Another few seconds we'd have all been blown up. VILA Well, it wasn't my fault. AVON Well, whose fault was it? I thought you were supposed to guard the corridor. VILA You were supposed to disconnect that thing, not rely on Gan tear to it loose with his teeth. JENNA All right, all right, now calm down. Are you sure this is it? [picks up the device] It doesn't look like much. [Flight deck, empty except for Blake.] BLAKE Zen, retaliation status report. ZEN Detectors confirm massive launch of long range interceptor rockets. They have locked on to Liberator's course and are in pursuit. BLAKE How long before we outrun them? ZEN Battle computers estimate seven hours to outrange interceptor tracking systems. BLAKE Maintain optimum evasive strategy. [He exits the flight deck, the next line coming as he walks away down the corridor.] ZEN Battle computers confirm, optimum evasion strategy committed. [Teleport room] AVON So that all communication between Federation units is sent by hyperspace sub-beam, that originates here and here. [indicates areas on device] All messages are converted into zeta three particles and then scrambled. [Blake enters in background.] They in their turn become an unbreakable code. BLAKE Unbreakable unless you have one of those. AVON As soon as I get this linked into our communications setup, we should be able to read every message that the Federation puts out. JENNA Any sign of the interceptors? BLAKE We picked up a whole flock of 'em. But we should outrun them in seven hours. JENNA It's almost too easy, isn't it? BLAKE A lot can happen in seven hours so I suggest we get back to business. Avon, I want you to make a start with that. Cally can help you. Where is Cally? [Everyone looks about.] Anybody see where she went? [Pause, no one speaks.] Has anybody seen her since she came back on board? GAN I haven't seen her. VILA Neither have I. BLAKE Then she's still down there. We've got to get back. JENNA We can't. The interceptors. BLAKE We can't just leave her there! AVON Blake, listen. If she didn't come back up, then she must have been in the building when the charges blew. She's dead. VILA And anyway, the place will be crawling with security forces by now. They'll be on full alert. AVON We'd never even get through their interceptors. [Grabs Blake's arm.] Listen! [Blake yanks free.] If you turn this ship round, you will kill all of us. [Federation Space Headquarters. Servalan's office.] RONTANE Which is why the President has asked me to come here personally; to express his own very grave concern over this matter. The destruction of the communications center has far-reaching political consequences. Controllers from some of the Outer Planets, whose loyalty to the Federation is, uh, delicately balanced, have been openly critical of the Administration's defense system. There are even one or two radical voices that speak of withdrawal from the Federation. BERCOL My department has done all in its power to suppress information about Blake and his actions -- there is a total blackout on all reports concerning him -- but still the stories get out. They spread by word of mouth, by whispers, by rumour; each time the story is told it is elaborated upon. Any damage to the Federation is attributed to Blake. The smallest incident is exaggerated out of all proportion until it becomes a major event. Blake is becoming a legend. His name is a rallying call for malcontents of all persuasions. He must be stopped. SERVALAN Gentlemen: I share the President's grave concern. And I am aware of the danger should Blake become a legend. But let us keep this matter in its correct perspective. It is true that Blake has command of a superb space vehicle, but he is just a man, backed by a handful of criminals, and that is all. He is not invulnerable, nor is he superhuman. He is just a man, who has been extremely lucky to evade capture --- so far. RONTANE With respect, Supreme Commander, we are aware of the facts. They are simply that with all the resources that the Federation can call upon, this one vulnerable, lucky man is still free to cause havoc. SERVALAN You have some criticism of my handling of this matter, Secretary Rontane? RONTANE Not at all, I hoped merely to convey the concern shown by the President when he briefed me for this visit. BERCOL It would be very helpful to all of us if we knew --- if you could indicate what action you will NOW be taking against Blake. SERVALAN Very well, Councillor Bercol. You may tell the President that I am appointing a Space Commander to take absolute control of this matter. He will be exclusively concerned to seek, locate, and destroy Blake. BERCOL Oh, excellent, excellent. RONTANE May we know the officer's name? SERVALAN Yes, you may. Space Commander Travis. RONTANE I understood that Travis had been suspended from duty pending an inquiry into the massacre of the civilians on the planet Auros. SERVALAN And I have satisfied myself that Travis acted correctly in this matter. The civilian deaths on Auros were unavoidable. BERCOL Uh, there are other incidents on his record, um, unfortunate incidents. RONTANE He has caused the Administration some political embarrassment in the past. In dealing with even minor insurrections, he has been, ah ... overzealous? SERVALAN Oh, don't be afraid of the word, Secretary. Ruthless. Committed. He does his duty as he sees it, and he sees it clearly. He has no time for the dirty gray areas of your politics. RONTANE [chuckle] I'm sure you're right, and of course the appointment is made on your judgement and your responsibility. SERVALAN Responsibility is something I have never evaded, Secretary. RONTANE Ah. May I then tell the President that you are confident that the Blake problem will be solved, soon? SERVALAN You may tell him to prepare a statement announcing that Blake has been eliminated. BERCOL Thank you for your reassurances, Supreme Commander. RONTANE Goodbye. SERVALAN A safe journey back to Earth. [The two men exit.] SERVALAN [into comm] Where is space commander Travis? He was due here one hour ago. VOICE [v.o.] His ship is locked into the station's flight grid. He will dock at precisely eighteen-twenty-three. SERVALAN Good. [She opens a window and looks out at space. View shifts to the Liberator in space as her voice speaks] Your time is running out, Blake. Your time and your luck. [Flight deck. Jenna, Avon and Gan are working to install the cipher device. Blake is moving about restlessly, Jenna goes over to him.] JENNA [rests hand on his shoulder] There's nothing you could have done. It wasn't your fault. BLAKE And whose fault was it? I should have checked. JENNA Cally wasn't a child. BLAKE Wasn't she? JENNA She knew the risks. She accepted them. She even welcomed them. BLAKE She was ashamed to go back to her own people because she had survived when the rest of the freedom fighters were massacred. JENNA Well, that wasn't her fault. BLAKE Shame like hers is an emotion, Jenna. It isn't rational. JENNA Exactly, and so is guilt like yours. That's not rational, either. BLAKE It's ironic, isn't it? She was the only one of us who wasn't a convicted criminal. JENNA She convicted herself. You can't live like that. You've got to make peace with yourself, Blake, if you want to survive. [Blake moves over to Avon.} BLAKE How are you coming with that? AVON The primaries are hooked into the main instrumentation, I just have to link up to a read-out. ZEN Attention. Liberator is now out of range of the interceptor's scanning systems. Detectors indicate the rockets have begun to self destruct. BLAKE Have the navigation computers put in a course for the planet listing K-Fourteen. ZEN Course laid in. JENNA That's a Federation repair and supply base, isn't it? AVON Yes, for their deep space cruisers. JENNA Are we going to attack it? BLAKE One for Cally. [pause] Because I want to survive. [Servalan's office.] SERVALAN [into comm] Yes? VOICE Space commander Travis's ship has just docked. SERVALAN Have him report to me immediately. [pause] No, have him wait outside until I send for him. SERVALAN [Knock on door] Come in. RAI Central Intelligence transmitted the records you asked for, ma'am. I have the microtapes. SERVALAN Thank you, Rai. Leave them there. RAI I am told that Travis is docked. SERVALAN So I understand. RAI [takes formal stance] May I speak, Supreme Commander? SERVALAN Yes, of course. But why so formal, Rai? What can be so important that we can't discuss it in a more relaxed way? Oh, Rai, come here. [She beckons him to join her on a couch.] SERVALAN [stroking his shoulder] Rai, I thought we were old friends. RAI I value our friendship a great deal. SERVALAN [smiles] Yes. Well? RAI Senior echelon officers all know that Travis is coming. SERVALAN But I've made no secret of it. RAI Is it wise? They know that he has been stripped of his rank and authority. That he has no status now and that he stands a good chance of being dismissed the service. SERVALAN Rai, [touches his hair] Space Commander Travis is the subject of a military inquiry. He was ordered to suppress an attack on Auros. RAI The man is a butcher. He continued with his attack after the total surrender. The death toll was horrifying. SERVALAN [stands up and returns to stand behind her desk, Rai follows her and stands in front of it] Travis is an advocate of total war. He carries out his orders with meticulous thoroughness. An enemy does not cease to be an enemy simply because it has surrendered. RAI That's the philosophy of an assassin, not a Federation officer. [pause] I must tell you that there are those among your officers who will not serve with Travis or take orders from him. SERVALAN And you may tell them --- whoever they are --- that Space Commander Travis's rank and authority have been fully restored by my order. I have also appointed him Senior Executive Officer of this station. Is that clear? RAI Yes, Supreme Commander. SERVALAN Let them know, too, that any lack of cooperation, any hesitation in responding to an order, will be treated as mutiny. Let them know I have said this. Dismissed. [Rai clicks his heels and exits. There is a bleep from the comm. Servalan ignores it, looking pensive. The comm bleeps again and Servalan reacts this time.] SERVALAN Yes? VOICE It's Commander Travis. I told him he was to wait but he just pushed past me. He's on his way up. I tried to stop him-- SERVALAN Very well. [Door opens and Travis enters. He moves to just in front of her desk and stands with his hands on his hips.] Space Commander, it is good to see you. TRAVIS Your aide said I was to wait. He was obviously mistaken. He doesn't realize the urgency of the matter. [Servalan lays a folded sheet of paper on the desk before him. Travis picks it up and reads it.] These are your orders? SERVALAN Destroy Blake. TRAVIS Depend on it. [Flight deck] AVON It's working. JENNA Well done. AVON Now let's see how well. Jenna, see if you can isolate the Federation's signal beam. JENNA [Jenna uses a tool on the device as the pitch of the signal shifts.] That's it. AVON Now, feed that into the cipher control . . . and there it is. [Zen's display screen shows shifted lines of cryptic characters.] BLAKE Well done, Avon. AVON Under the circumstances, it would have been a great pity if it hadn't worked. Gan, basic unscrambler? [Gan hands him a set of headphones. Avon and Jenna listen to the earpieces.] BLAKE What are you getting? AVON Just routine movement orders, statistical information. I'll rig a selective data link into their battle computers, it'll be useful background information. JENNA We should monitor what we're getting, we'll need a rota of some sort. BLAKE Yeah, good idea. [laughs] We should know more about the Federation than the president. [Jenna laughs.] BLAKE I presume there's a recall record? AVON It's all going on to microtape. BLAKE You've done a good job, Avon. Thank you. AVON At least I'll know what the _Federation_ is planning. [Gan grins] Just a minute. BLAKE Something? AVON A message beamed into Centero. JENNA But we've just destroyed their communications base. AVON They're using emergency frequencies. BLAKE What's the message? AVON Some flight clearance. Priority spaceway for a ship going in from Space Headquarters. The Supreme Commander requests that all personnel give maximum cooperation to the incoming officer. JENNA Does it give his name? AVON Space Commander Travis. BLAKE Travis! JENNA Do you know him? BLAKE I thought he was dead. I was sure I'd killed him. [Cipher room. A group of technicians are rifling through the debris when Travis enters.] TRAVIS Stop! [to Prell] What are these men doing here? PRELL Well, I didn't think it would matter if we made a start on clearing up the worst of the damage. TRAVIS My orders were that nothing was to be touched in this room, nothing. [to the technicians] Get out! [Most start to leave, one is slower about it. Travis grabs him by the arm and shoves him towards the door.] Out! [to Prell] Go through the sequence of events. PRELL From the beginning, sir? TRAVIS Well, naturally. PRELL Well, two armed men came through the door. From the description you've given me, one of them was certainly Blake. TRAVIS Go on. PRELL Well, we were made to stand against the wall. Then a minute later, three more of them just appeared. TRAVIS Appeared? PRELL Well, materialized, sir. My men and I were taken out by a man and a girl. It was the girl who kept us prisoner in the equipment store. We overpowered her, the demolition harges went off, sir. Well, we were lucky to get out alive. TRAVIS How long were Blake and his men in here? PRELL Five, ten minutes, not more. TRAVIS Five or ten minutes? They could have set demolition charges in thirty seconds. What were they doing in that extra time? PRELL Perhaps they had trouble getting them to work, sir. TRAVIS And why did they take you and your men out of here? PRELL I suppose they thought it was safer with us out of the way. TRAVIS No. No. There's something missing. I'm missing something. [pause] Do you still have the original construction plans for this room? PRELL They'll be on record, sir. TRAVIS And detailed diagrams of all the circuits? PRELL Yes. TRAVIS Good. I'm sending in a forensic team. I want a full catalog of every item in this room. PRELL But, sir-- TRAVIS Everything must be accounted for. PRELL But, sir-- [breaks off as Travis turns to stare at him coldly.] Well, that could take months, sir, if it's possible at all. TRAVIS Prell, if I were you I'd make it possible. I want that catalog in twenty hours. PRELL Sir. [There is a ringing. Prell uses a handheld communicator, holding it alternately to his ear and throat] Yes? Right! TRAVIS What is it? PRELL They found something, under the rubble. I think you'd better come along. [Storage room. Eldon is examining the body of the dead guard.] PRELL Where is it? ELDON It's over there, sir. [Prell goes behind the fallen rack and touches Cally.] PRELL It's the girl who was holding us prisoner, sir. TRAVIS Is she dead? PRELL I'll check, sir. ELDON [Hands Cally's gun to Travis] We found this, sir. TRAVIS Hmm? PRELL Sir. TRAVIS Hmm. PRELL She's alive. TRAVIS You, get a medical squad. Move! ELDON Yes, sir. [exits] PRELL She'll pull through all right, sir, she's lucky. TRAVIS No, we are. Her luck ran out when she didn't die. The medics are to give her emergency treatment and put her into a life support capsule. I take off for the space station in one hour. PRELL Right, sir. [exits] [Servalan's office. Travis is scanning through pictures of Blake on a wall screen.] SERVALAN Shouldn't you rest now? TRAVIS Is this all the information we have on Blake? SERVALAN I checked with Intelligence personally. It's all there. TRAVIS Have you approved my requisitions for personnel and equipment? SERVALAN The ships you want, the Starburst class, I'm not sure I can get them. TRAVIS What?! SERVALAN There've only been three of them built so far, and they've already been assigned to the Galactic Eighth Fleet. TRAVIS Well, get them reassigned to you. Look, from what we already know about Blake's ship, it's vastly superior to anything we've got. If I'm to stand even a reasonable chance of taking him, I need those three high-range pursuit ships. SERVALAN You'll have them. TRAVIS What about my crew? SERVALAN Already assigned. Why mutoids particularly? TRAVIS Why mutoids? I've always thought that individuals with a high bionic rebuild were more reliable, less likely to let emotion interfere with judgement or duty. I give a mutoid priority over a man every time. [Points to his left hand] Or perhaps it's this that gives me a fellow feeling. SERVALAN Does it still trouble you? TRAVIS Well, not in the way you mean. The surgical mechanics did a perfect refit. I had the Weaponry Division make a few ... adaptations. They built in a laseron destroyer, more powerful than any sidearm. No, the hand is fine, better than the original. It only troubles me because it's a constant reminder that the man who caused it, is still alive. SERVALAN Blake. That's why I choose you. TRAVIS Oh? SERVALAN I've read all the reports, of course. But none of them said what happened. None of them explained about your face. TRAVIS What about my face? SERVALAN It was patched up by a field medic. TRAVIS Man saved my life. SERVALAN But why did you never let the surgeons finish the job? TRAVIS [Chuckles] What are you suggesting, cosmetic surgery? I'm a field officer, not one of your decorative staff men. SERVALAN You're certainly not decorative. TRAVIS You find it repulsive? SERVALAN I find it ... unpleasing. TRAVIS But memorable. You wouldn't mistake me for anyone else. SERVALAN Hardly. TRAVIS Mm. Neither will Blake. Even after all this time, he'll know me, and remember what happened at our first meeting. SERVALAN Tell me. TRAVIS It was quite early on. Blake had only been involved with the dissidents for a short while, but he already had a following. He organized some attacks against some of our political rehabilitation centers. Released some of the prisoners who were having indoctrination treatment. I was assigned to deal with the matter. We got information that Blake was planning another raid. We knew the location of the meeting point. I made my plans well in advance. [Flight deck. The crew are all sitting on couches in the pit. Vila and Jenna are holding cups, more are on the table. Jenna sips from her cup at one point during Blake's story.] BLAKE The group had arranged to meet in a sub-basement. There were about thirty of us. I was very particular about security. I had our people watch the entrances and exits for a full twenty-four hours before we were supposed to meet. No Federation forces came anywhere near the place. I was absolutely sure that we were safe. That night we were assembled and about to begin, and Travis and his men suddenly appeared from nowhere. AVON Didn't you post any guards? BLAKE Of course I did. Travis was already there. He'd been hiding in that basement for more than two days. We made no attempt to resist arrest. There was no point, we had no chance. I said to Travis, "We will offer no resistance." And he just stared at me. And then he ordered his men to open fire. Everybody was diving for cover that wasn't there. I, I ran, I found myself grappling with a guard, and I managed to get his gun away from him, and then I was hit in the leg. But as I went down, I saw Travis. And I fired. I saw him fall. I was sure I'd killed him. JENNA What happened then? BLAKE Oh, they did a memory erase on me, set up a show trial, had me confess, made me explain that I had been misled, that my political ideas were mistaken. Enough people believed me. The whole resistance movement collapsed. After that the Federation kept me around as a, a reformed character, a sort of ideal model citizen exhibit. Of course, I didn't know that at the time. No, it's only since almost exactly the same thing has happened again that the memory erase has begun to fade and I can remember. AVON Do you remember enough to recognize Travis again? BLAKE The man who killed twenty of my friends? Oh, yes. I'll recognize him. [Note from transcriber: the person I have labeled "DOCTOR" in the following scene is not listed in the credits and only his hand and part of his leg is ever seen.] [Medical lab. Cally is lying on a bed/medical capsule, with a mask over her eyes, attended by a doctor. Travis's image is displayed on a wall screen.] TRAVIS What is her condition? DOCTOR [removes her mask] There's some superficial bruising, a slight respiratory problem, other than that she's virtually unharmed. There's really no need for her to remain in the life support capsule. TRAVIS No, she'll stay where she is for the moment. It'll make her more responsive to interrogation later. DOCTOR She's not yet well enough to submit to intensive questioning. She must have rest-- TRAVIS Yes, thank you very much indeed, Doctor, you are relieved of your responsibility for the prisoner. She is now the property ... the concern of the interrogation division. [The doctor exits. To Cally] We'll want to know about Blake, the ship, his crew, his plans. CALLY Your words are meaningless to me. Who is Blake? TRAVIS I think you'll remember, quite soon. Oh, there may be a little pain, a little discomfort, but you will remember. CALLY I will tell you nothing. TRAVIS I'll come back later. By that time you may have answered my questions. [to someone offscreen] You may begin. [Scenes of a liquid being poured, Cally grimacing in pain, flashing lights.] [Cipher room] ELDON [shows piece of debris to Prell] What do you make of this, sir? PRELL Where did you find it? ELDON It was embedded in the wall. PRELL [takes it and looks it over] Strange, it looks like part of the inner workings and yet the surface scoring would suggest that it was exposed at the time of the explosion. ELDON Hmm. PRELL Check its code number. ELDON [puts on a visor with an attached single lens] Fourteen twenty- nine. PRELL [checks against paper listing] Fourteen twenty-nine, relay boost, prime link is to component fourteen thirty. What have we salvaged for that classification? ELDON [goes to check against something] Nothing. PRELL Nothing? ELDON Not a fragment. PRELL Of course, it's obvious, obvious. [gestures for comm] ELDON [Passes him the handheld communicator] What is it? PRELL [Into communicator] Priority message to Space Commander Travis. Delivery by Category One courier. Message begins ... [Servalan's office. She and Travis are listening to a recording of Prell's voice.] PRELL [recording] ... thorough check of salvaged material reveals no trace of parts used in manufacture of component fourteen thirty. It is virtually certain therefore that the instrument was removed before the explosion. Component-- [Travis turns the recording off] TRAVIS Blake got the cipher machine. SERVALAN He's able to read everything we transmit. Forward planning movements, security, everything. TRAVIS That's right. SERVALAN I must advise Central Security. [Crosses to comm] We have to introduce a new code system immediately. TRAVIS No, no. If the code system is changed Blake will know we are on to him. SERVALAN That's not important. What matters is that our security is wide open. [Reaches to comm but Travis blocks her hand.] TRAVIS Listen to me. We know that Blake is reading us. If we transmit a message in the normal routine way he'll intercept it, hm? Now what if that message was something he wanted to hear? Something that we know would bring him to a particular place. SERVALAN A place where we would be waiting for him. TRAVIS Exactly. [Flight deck. Jenna is alone, monitoring the Federation transmission with the headphones when something makes her react.] JENNA [into comm] Blake, can you get down here fast? [starts making notes on a pad] [Blake hurries in, followed by Avon and Vila.] BLAKE What is it? JENNA This just came through on the cipher. BLAKE Read it. JENNA Space headquarters priority. Injured female prisoner taken after attack on communications base planet Centero to be held for treatment and interrogation. BLAKE She's alive. VILA I knew she wasn't dead. AVON No, you didn't. VILA No, I didn't. I'm going to tell Gan. [exits] AVON Treatment and interrogation, that doesn't sound too promising. BLAKE She's alive. That's all that matters. Zen, immediate course change. Direct route to Centero speed standard by six. ZEN Confirmed. BLAKE I want a repeat readout of everything in the databanks concerning Centero. The whole lot again. ZEN Confirmed. BLAKE I want it now. AVON Blake, what are you planning? What exactly have you got in mind? BLAKE I'm not sure yet. JENNA We could make a really fast strike. They wouldn't be expecting anything. AVON Oh, I admire your confidence. JENNA Well, surprise is the only thing we've got on our side. BLAKE Yes, well, however we do it, one way or another we are gonna to get Cally out of there. [exits] [View of Liberator in space, turning.] ZEN [v.o.] The banks have collated the required information. Liberator is turning onto new course heading, now. [Multiple scenes of guards taking up stations around Centero base. Shot of Cally's unconscious body being dragged along the floor by her feet.] [Room at Centero base. Travis is sitting at a table.] ESCON Base Commander Escon reporting, sir. TRAVIS Yes, Base Commander? ESCON I've escorted the prisoner to the interrogation room and my men have been briefed to keep out of sight until you give the signal. TRAVIS Good. Blake is to get right inside the building before anybody makes a move. ESCON Understood, sir. TRAVIS Sit down, Base Commander. ESCON Thank you, sir. [sits] TRAVIS How are your units deployed? ESCON We have the whole area circled. Squads on every roof, destructors with wide firing spread around every wall. Once they're inside there's no way they're going to get out again. TRAVIS Good. Space watch reports? ESCON An unidentified ship entered our upper atmosphere about an hour before you arrived. TRAVIS Blake's? ESCON We assume so. TRAVIS Why? ESCON Because it came in close and then raced back out again. Our guess is that it was doing a fast ground survey. TRAVIS Seems reasonable. Where is it now? ESCON In fixed orbit, about a quarter of a million out. TRAVIS Quarter of a million? They won't be able to use their teleport at that range. They'll have to come in closer. And they can't do that without our knowing it. Which leaves just one chance factor: exactly where they'll teleport down. The odds are against them being able to zero in on the interrogation room. ESCON I think we have that beaten, too, sir. [Next couple of lines are delivered v.o. over shots of technicians monitoring some screens in another location.] TRAVIS Oh? ESCON My research people have rigged up the entire complex with an MSD. TRAVIS What? ESCON A molecular shift detector, sir. Apparently there's an enormous kinetic potential set up by teleport communications. A rough analogy would be the, the static buildup during an electrical storm. TRAVIS Yes, well, I'm always grateful for a rough analogy. What does it do? ESCON It tells us exactly where and when they land. TRAVIS It's perfect. ESCON He still may not come. TRAVIS Oh, he'll come. He wouldn't abandon the girl. Not Blake. Right, it starts now. Get under cover. ESCON Sir. TRAVIS Oh, and Base Commander, remember: Blake is to get right inside the building. Let him find me and the girl before anybody makes a move. Is that clearly understood? ESCON Understood, sir. [exits] [Travis leaves through a door in a different direction.] [Interrogation room. Cally is held in a chair by metal bands over her forearms. Travis enters.] TRAVIS I hope you're not too uncomfortable. It won't be long now. CALLY You're wasting your time. Blake will not risk his ship and his crew just for me. TRAVIS I've studied that man till I know him better than I know myself. He has one reliable flaw: loyalty. He'll come for you. I'll stake my life on it. [Beep. Into comm] Yes? VOICE No movement yet from Blake's ship. Still holding fixed orbit. TRAVIS Let me know the minute it starts in. VOICE Yes, sir. TRAVIS I'm sorry about this, but I don't want you doing anything foolish like shouting out for help. Now this won't hurt. [Travis throws a switch on the wall and Cally stiffens with a little moan.] [Scenes of Travis walking down a corridor, looking over guards outside, shots of apparently deserted exterior of base, Travis walking back down the corridor.] [Interrogation room. Travis enters, goes over to the chair which has its back to the door and swings it around to reveal it is empty. Blake grabs him from behind, holding an arm about Travis' neck in a choke hold while holding his gun to his head.] BLAKE A trick I learned from you, Travis. I got here first. Take his gun, Cally. [Cally takes a small gun from Travis and points it at him.] CALLY Know this, your interrogators caused me much suffering. I should like a reason to kill you, one small movement will be enough. BLAKE [into bracelet] I got her, Jenna. Bring the ship to teleport range. JENNA [v.o.] On our way. CALLY Now, Travis, your turn. [gestures] You get in the chair. [Travis sits down, carefully resting his real hand on the artificial one.] BLAKE Don't feel too badly, Travis. After all, it was an ambush technique you devised. TRAVIS You're not out of this yet. [Cally closes the restraint bands over Travis' arms.] VOICE [v.o.] Blake's ship is moving, coming in very fast. BLAKE We'll be leaving you in about three minutes. I should use the time to think of an excuse for your failure. TRAVIS You'd better kill me, Blake. Until one of us is dead, there'll never be a time when I won't be right behind you. BLAKE If not you then somebody else. Killing you'll change nothing. You don't matter enough to kill, Travis. [Blake turns away to look out the door. Travis uses his thumb to twiddle with the ring on his artificial hand. Cally notices this and where his hand is pointed.] CALLY Blake, get down! [Blake ducks, Travis fires, missing Blake, Cally swings his chair around, Blake smashes Travis' hand, sparks fly from the hand and Travis cries out.] BLAKE The door, Cally! They'll be coming. [into bracelet] How long, Jenna? JENNA [v.o.] Ninety seconds. BLAKE [into bracelet] Make it faster. CALLY Coming. BLAKE Get down. [The guards fire, blasting down the door.] TRAVIS [to guards] Take them. JENNA [v.o.] In teleport range now. TRAVIS [to guards] It doesn't matter about me. JENNA We're bringing you up. TRAVIS [to guards] I order you to take them! [Cally and Blake dematerialize. Some guards enter] Don't stand there, you idiots! Launch the interceptors. [Teleport room. Blake and Cally materialize.] VILA Welcome back. We thought you'd decided to stay. BLAKE Bit close that time, Jenna. VILA Anyway, we're glad you are safe, aren't we? [Looks over at Avon who is standing silently.] Aren't we? AVON Yes, I'm glad you're all right. BLAKE Those interceptors will be lifting off any minute now. Let's get on with it. [into comm] Gan, get the ship moving. Full interceptor evasion. [Flight deck. Gan is at the controls.] GAN Check. Zen, battle computers to interceptor evasion. [Vila, Avon, and Jenna enter and move to their stations.] Then take us out. Speed standard by six. ZEN Your instructions are confirmed. Speed is now standard by six. [Teleport room. Blake takes off his gun, lays it on the control panel and has started to leave when Cally's voice stops him.] CALLY Blake, thank you. BLAKE Too many of my friends are already dead, Cally. I can't afford to lose another one. [He looks down at her hands, which are cradling Travis's gun.] Travis's gun. I'll take that. [Both exit.] [Interrogation room. A technician is fiddling with Travis's mechanical hand. Travis grimaces and strikes him away.] TRAVIS [soliloquy] Run, Blake. [shot of the Liberator is show over the next two lines.]Run. As far and as fast as you like. I'll find you. You can't hide from me. I am your death, Blake. [smiles] Script Index Back to B7 Top
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