This page has been archived and is no longer updated.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

24 September 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 Macra Terror

Episode Three contact sheet

'Macra!' screams Polly as a giant claw holds the aged Controller firmly in its grip. 'They're in control!'

The Doctor and his friends are condemned to the pits, while the brainwashed Ben stays behind. The Pilot contacts the work shift at the pit head, and assigns the strangers to 'the danger gang'.

The familiar five-note sequence announces the reappearance of the image of the handsome young Controller. 'The strangers must be sent to explore the new gas reserve,' confirms the disembodied voice. 'They are dangerous people – they must be disciplined.'

Announcement chimes

'You will forget all that happened,' orders the voice. 'The Colony enjoys hard workers' happiness. We will not tolerate the evil of such strangers.' The Pilot turns to Ben, and tells him to serve the Colony by keeping careful watch over his friends.

Ola takes the Doctor, Polly and Jamie to a large room as another excruciating jingle is piped through the Colony's address system. 'Are these the three strangers?' asks their host Officia. 'You might call us that,' replies the Doctor.

Ola gives Officia the strangers' allocated pit number, and the Doctor asks Officia what they mine. Officia replies that the pit workers extract valuable gases from the rock.

Jamie is surprised to see that Medok is their shift leader. Medok tells them he was thrown out of the hospital – dismissed as 'a hopeless case' – to work in the danger gang. 'You don't survive long in this atmosphere,' he says. 'It's the gas. It creeps into your lungs.'

Officia allows the Doctor to supervise the shift from the pump room on the surface, and Medok gives Ben and Polly masks before they go underground.

'Remarkable,' mutters the Doctor as he investigates the machinery. 'Most interesting...' Ben watches him silently from the other side of the room.

The Doctor asks Ben to join him, and tries to elicit a response by reminding him that he betrayed his friends. 'The voices tell me what to do,' intones Ben. 'The voices may not be right,' says the Doctor.

'They shouldn't make lassies do the work of men,' says Jamie as Polly chokes in the cloying atmosphere underground.

'I'd prefer Control poisoning my lungs than trying to poison my mind,' says Medok bitterly.

A piercing alarm signifies another gas strike – there is so much gas escaping that it can't be channelled off. Jamie, Polly and Medok rush to insert a heavy cable into the rock face, while one of their fellow workers inhales so much gas that he collapses.

'What's it all for?' asks an exhausted Polly. 'For a poisonous gas that we mine from the bowels of this planet,' says Medok. 'It kills us if we breathe it. No-one knows what it's used for.'

Alone in the pump room, the Doctor studies the various dials and chalks a complex formula on the wall. With his calculations complete, he triumphantly chalks '10 of 10' next to the formula.

The Pilot enters the room and gazes in astonishment at the Doctor's work. He tells the Doctor that the formula is a secret known only to him and two other people in the Colony.

The Pilot accuses the Doctor of having looked at the Colony's secret files. 'You're not asking me to believe that in a few moments you have been able to work out a formula which it has taken our combined computers years to perfect.' The Doctor infuriates him further by altering his mark to '11 out of 10'.

'It was simple really,' says the Doctor, explaining that he has been examining the dials. The agitated Pilot tells the Doctor to wipe the formula away before anyone else sees it.

The Doctor throws a bucket of water over the wall. 'If anyone follows that formula there'll be an almighty explosion,' laughs the Doctor. 'X to the power of Y has dribbled into two threes are six.' The Pilot orders him to remove the formula once and for all.

In one of the mine corridors, Medok forces another probe into the wall.

'You're not looking for more gas?' asks an incredulous Polly. 'Oh yes,' replies Medok. 'We never stop.'

Jamie and Polly become intrigued by a highly polished door at the end of the corridor. Medok tells them he has no idea where it leads to, and says that as far as he's aware it has never been opened.

Officia inspects Medok's work, and tells him that if there is a high pressure strike then he will need a stronger screw. Medok warns him not to touch the mechanism, but Officia ignores his advice.

The screw springs back, releasing a burst of gas that overcomes Officia.

He staggers back and collapses on the floor. Ben appears, and watches closely as Medok tries to replace the screw. Meanwhile, Jamie steals the keys from the unconscious Officia.

As Ben looks after Officia, Jamie and Polly wonder whether Ben saw Jamie take the keys. Jamie resolves to use them as quickly as possible, and heads for the highly polished door.

Jamie struggles with lock, trying each key in turn as Polly nervously keeps watch. She responds to a call from Medok just as Jamie finds the key that fits.

The door opens to reveal a dank tunnel. Jamie shuts the door behind him.

Edging his way through the darkness, Jamie starts to explore.

An alarm sounds. 'It's an escape!,' exclaims Medok. 'That bell means someone has escaped!' Polly tells him that Jamie has escaped through the door, and Medok immediately goes to join him. A nervous Polly is left on her own.

'Stand by, a prisoner has escaped,' a disbelieving Officia orders the pit guards. 'Shoot on sight.'

'Special guards to cover all exits to the old shaft,' says Officia, realising his keys are missing. 'With Pilot's permission, they may have to go on forbidden ground.'

Sweeping cobwebs aside, Jamie moves through the mineshaft.

Medok calls after Jamie, but he is soon silenced by a huge claw that grips his throat and drags him to the ground. 'Who's there?' calls Jamie, retracing his steps in the darkness.

Control orders that no-one is permitted in or near the old shaft. Officia knows he will be punished for a miner's disappearance, but concludes, 'Control knows best.' The Doctor asks who has escaped, and Ben replies, 'It is Jamie – I saw him take the keys.'

The Doctor asks Ben why he didn't report it. 'I don't seem to be able to think straight,' falters Ben. 'You're recovering,' smiles the Doctor. 'I always thought you were a tough customer – well done!'

Jamie finds Medok's dead body.

He looks around, searching for Medok's killer.

He backs away as the mist reveals a huge, crab-like Macra.

As the alarm continues to sound, Polly joins the Doctor in the pump room. The Doctor confirms that Jamie is in the old shaft, before continuing to analyse the gas.

'They go to great efforts to get it,' says the Doctor. 'The question is, why?' Officia enters the room and the Doctor covers up his work.

Ben decides he must inform Control that it is Jamie that escaped, but the Pilot is not in his office. Ben tells the Pilot's secretary that he hears voices in his head. She reassures him that the voices are their friends. 'What about my friends?' he asks.

Confronted by a motionless Macra, Jamie throws bits of stone and salt rock at the creature. Its eyes light up in response. In the pump room, the alarm stops. 'Does that mean he's been caught?' asks Polly.

The provoked Macra makes only the slightest movement towards Jamie.

The Pilot arrives and Ben reports to him. Pilot informs Control that Jamie is in the old shaft, and Control repeats the order that no-one is to go near the area.

At the gas centre, Officia is ordered to divert gas into the old shaft.

'Control are not pouring this gas into the old shaft to kill Jamie,' realises the Doctor. 'They've quite another reason.'

'The Macra have come to the surface of this planet and not found sufficient gas in the atmosphere,' says the Doctor, thinking out loud. 'They've had to get somebody to pump it up for them from down below.'

The Doctor concludes that there is something trapped in the shaft. Something the Macra want to keep alive... As the Macra moves forward, Jamie backs away.

The Macra's eyes follow Jamie as he slowly retreats.

Officia reports that the pipe lines are ready to start pumping gas. Polly urges the Doctor to think quickly to save Jamie.

Officia announces that the gas is to be channelled through systems seven and eight. As Officia starts pumping the gas at half-blast, the Doctor and Polly hurry to locate the relevant pipes.

Gas starts pouring into the shaft. Jamie clutches his throat, choking on the fumes.

Revived by the gas, the Macra advances through the mist.

As Jamie gets progressively weaker, the Macra hungrily snaps its claws.

The Doctor finds the pipes, while on the other side of the room Control instructs Officia to increase the pressure. Polly begins to panic.

'Turn on full pressure, now!' orders Control as the Macra greedily sucks on the clouds of gas that choke Jamie.

The Macra gains on him and Jamie tries to escape down the tunnel.

There is nowhere to run – Jamie's path is blocked by another of the sinister, lumbering creatures…

NEXT WEEK: Will Jamie escape the advancing Macra and the toxic gas?

CLASSIC CLIPS

PHOTONOVELS

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