This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving.

22 October 2014

	BBC Homepage Entertainment Cult
DOCTOR WHO The Classic Series Clips Episode Guide PhotoNovels Photo Galleries Quizzes Reviews Webcasts News Who links

	Contact Us

Doctor Who | Photonovels | The Ice Warriors

Episode Five contact sheet

'Who are you?' asks Varga, but the Doctor baits the Martian by refusing to answer. Varga warns the Doctor that he is standing in the ship's air lock.

Varga tells the Doctor that unless he answers within ten seconds he will reduce the atmospheric pressure to zero. 'Oh all right, all right,' concedes the Doctor. 'I don't think much of your hospitality.' The Martian commander emits a rasping laugh.

The Doctor identifies himself as a scientist. 'You do not look like a scientist,' says a cynical Zondal.

'Looks aren't everything you know,' replies the Doctor indignantly.
Varga is similarly sceptical and makes references to Storr. 'You look more like the scavenger. We killed him.'

The Doctor is defiant. 'If you kill me you'll miss any chance you may have of escape.' The warriors activate the door control, allowing the Doctor to enter.

The Doctor promises to help them - on certain conditions. 'You are our prisoner,' Varga reminds him.
'On the contrary,' replies the Doctor. 'It is you who are the prisoner, and I can help you.'

The Doctor explains that the ioniser is not a weapon. 'It will melt the ice and set you free.' He is soon reunited with his fellow hostage Victoria.

Varga considers the Doctor's words. 'If what you say is true, why have you not freed us before?' The Doctor mumbles that there were difficulties. The Martians press him for an explanation.

The sound of baying animals echoes around the trees as Penley drags a sledge carrying the injured Jamie. The terrain is difficult to negotiate, and Penley decides to take a break.

'It's not much farther now,' he says, sitting down beside Jamie. 'We're at the edge of the woods fringing the camp perimeter.'

'Can we not rest a while?' asks Jamie. Penley replies that they can take a couple of minutes - no more.

Jamie hears the sound of a wolf, but the best weapon Penley can offer in defence is Arden's tranquilliser gun.

They decide to carry on, but before he can get up Penley suddenly freezes. 'Keep very still,' he advises Jamie.

A wild bear descends a nearby embankment, its nose close to the ground.

The animal pauses, snarling at the two men.

The Doctor outlines his fears that if the ioniser is used then it could trigger a nuclear explosion. 'But if you thought there'd be no explosion...' asks Zondal. 'In that case we'd have no choice,' admits the Doctor.

'But it wouldn't harm the ship,' continues the Doctor. 'It would release it!' Varga claims the ensuing floods would leave them at the humans' mercy, and accuses the Doctor of being a spy.

At the base, Clent and Miss Garrett monitor the exchange via the Doctor's wrist communicator. 'You do not realise that after a certain point my base will have to activate the ioniser, regardless of the consequences?' warns the Doctor.

Varga suspects that the Doctor is covertly communicating with the base and snatches the wrist communicator from him. 'Ah,' he says, brandishing his prize. 'They would never know.'

'He's telling us to take the risk,' says Clent, staring at the now blank screen.

The computer lights up and the grating electronic voice declares: 'All bases will prepare to use full ioniser attack on the ice in concentrated action. Zero hour in six hours exactly.'

Miss Garrett is amazed to hear that Clent is reluctant to comply. 'If we act and there is an explosion,' he falters, 'apart from destroying this base... the contamination...'

Clent tries to delay informing World Control of their dilemma and orders Miss Garrett to give the computer all of the available data. She maintains that there is still not enough information for it to make a decision.

'Use the gun!' urges Jamie as the bear approaches. Penley fires but it has no effect. The animal moves in for the kill and the two men panic. Penley fires again.

'Further information essential before decision can be taken,' grates the computer. 'It is the answer I expected,' says Miss Garrett.

'It can't gamble,' says Clent. 'It can't take risks. The computer is playing for time.'

Clent addresses the control room staff and tells them that they all risk destruction - either from radioactive destruction or by the onslaught of the glacier.

He says that by demanding a decision from the computer, 'we are asking it to commit suicide.' He orders a complete data check, and resolves to wait.

'Bet you didn't think you'd have ice monsters and things like that to deal with when you volunteered for the job did you?' Clent nervously jokes with Walters.

The guard smirks. 'I didn't volunteer!'

Penley pushes the unconscious animal away. Jamie suggests they'd better get on with it. 'He won't be any friendlier when he wakes up.'

'It's an ion reactor isn't it?' says the Doctor, completing his inspection of the warriors' engine room. 'It could be dangerous,' he tells Varga, 'but it wouldn't necessarily explode.'

'True,' says Varga, holding up the dormant wrist communicator, 'but your friends do not know that. We can get what we want without your help.' The Doctor is intrigued. 'But what else do you need apart from escaping the ice?'

'We have had enough of your questions,' says Varga, rounding on the Doctor. 'The base - what is its power source?'

'Oh that's what you need is it?' says the Doctor. 'Fuel for your reactor! And suppose I don't tell you?' Zondal levels his gun at Victoria's head.

'Don't tell them,' says Victoria, trembling. 'You'll find what you need at the base,' says the Doctor, 'but you won't find leader Clent easy to persuade. He's a very obstinate man.'

'He'll listen to our sonic cannon,' hisses Varga. As the glacier rumbles outside, Varga orders Isbur and Rintan to wait for him at the entrance to the cave. Zondal is ordered to man the cannon.

'You can't be so inhuman,' says Victoria. 'Sss sss sss,' hisses Varga. 'We only fight to win.'

Miss Garrett confers with the computer, collating data while Leader Clent monitors readings from around the room.

Walters reports that there are two new arrivals at the reception checkpoint.

Clent is uninterested until Walters points out that the visitors are 'the lad that came with the Doctor and Scientist Penley.'

Penley appears on the screen. 'Clent, I must talk to you - I have news of the Doctor.' Clent tells Walters to bring the new arrivals in at once.

Miss Garrett says that Penley can't be allowed to interfere. 'I no longer need to be tolerant with him,' says Clent. 'He's no longer my equal; he's an outsider.'

Penley staggers in and deposits the paralysed Jamie by the double doors. Clent orders Walters to stay - he may be needed.

'I'm not liable to be violent,' says Penley, who tells Clent he has returned because Jamie needs medical supervision. 'He was shot down by the warriors' guns.'

Jamie begs Clent to help Victoria and the Doctor. 'We lost contact with the Doctor over an hour ago,' says Clent. 'I'm afraid there's no hope.'

'You mean hope happens to be inconvenient,' says Penley, who can't believe that Clent and Miss Garrett have decided to wait before attacking the advancing glacier. 'You're not a man,' Penley tells Clent, 'you're just a machine's slave.'

'Don't you spit your stupid liberty in my face, Penley,' snarls Clent. 'We know your kind of freedom - freedom from responsibilities! I may be a physical coward Penley, but you're a coward in the mind.'

Jamie grips Clent's arm and implores him to help the Doctor and Victoria. Penley moves to calm Jamie down, and in the ensuing scuffle Walters opens fire. Jamie and Penley fall to the ground, stunned. 'Now get them out of here!' barks Clent.

Miss Garrett sends Penley and Jamie to the medicontrol centre. 'Penley - he's nothing,' says Clent. 'Our trust is in the great computer,' adds Miss Garrett, resting her hand on the machine. 'With its aid we cannot fail.'

Varga relays instructions to Zondal from outside the base. 'Stand by, gun control,' he rasps. 'Take target readings.'

Zondal operates the control and the cannon slowly emerges from the ship's hull.

Zondal manoeuvres the weapon until the base dome rests in its sights.

The gun makes a loud humming noise as it begins accumulating power. Inside the ship, the Doctor hatches a plan. He tells Victoria to pretend to start crying.

Victoria's sobs become increasingly melodramatic as the Doctor shows her the phial of ammonium sulphide. 'We've got to try and escape with this,' he whispers, explaining what it will do to their captor. Zondal reports to Varga that the sonic gun is now ready.

As Zondal prepares to fire, the Doctor creeps up behind him and wrestles with the top of the phial. As he struggles to get the top off, Victoria tries to distract Zondal. The Doctor passes her the phial.

'What is that?' asks Zondal. Before he can grab it, Victoria hurls the chemical into the Martian's face.

'Fire now!' orders Varga as the choking Zondal collapses against the firing mechanism. He moves to activate the firing control, and the Doctor desperately tries to hold him back...

NEXT WEEK: The Ice Warriors demand total surrender...

CLASSIC CLIPS

PHOTONOVELS

About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy