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22 October 2014

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Doctor Who | Photonovels | The Abominable Snowmen

Episode Four contact sheet

With its control sphere in place, the Yeti rises from the table. Effortlessly breaking its restraining chains, the robot approaches Victoria.

'Help, Thonmi!' she screams, and the monk rushes to her aid. Victoria runs out of the room as Thonmi throws an incense burner at the Yeti.

Thonmi flees from the relentless robot and heads for the courtyard.

Victoria and Sapan rush into the courtyard. 'Khrisong!' says Sapan, 'The Yeti – it's alive!'

Its arrival announced by a burbling electronic noise, the Yeti strides into the courtyard. 'Get back!' warns Khrisong, brandishing his weapon.

The Yeti's sound

The monks club the Yeti with sticks and fire arrows at it, but nothing slows it down.

Victoria and Thonmi open the gates and the Yeti marches straight through them.

Oblivious to the chaos in its wake, it heads back for the mountains.

Nearby, the Doctor finds the eerie silence disturbing. 'There's something happening on this mountain,' he tells Jamie.

Travers observes Abbot Songsten and the three obedient Yeti that appear to guard him.

The two Yeti with the recovered sphere approach the cave. Another one pushes aside the huge boulder concealing the entrance. Sonsgten takes the sphere into the cave.

The Yeti on the move

A lone Yeti stands guard outside the TARDIS. 'I wonder what he's waiting for?' asks Jamie.

'It's a robot,' says the Doctor. 'It merely follows instructions.' Much to Jamie's alarm, the Doctor stands up in full view of the Yeti.

In the inner sanctum, Padmasambhava communicates with his master. 'Oh, Great Intelligence, have I served you well? How long before your great experiment begins and I can rest?' An unheard voice tells him the experiment is about to begin.

In the cave, Songsten places the sphere into a circle with the others. He puts the transparent pyramid he received from Padmasambhava in the centre.

It begins to glow and emit a sonorous drone.

The Great Intelligence

Bathed in the light from the pyramid, Songsten steps back and leaves the cave with his Yeti escort. When they have gone, Travers gingerly enters the cave.

'What are you going to do?' asks Jamie. 'Bung a rock at it,' replies the Doctor. The Yeti remains impassive as the Doctor edges closer.

'It's either switched off, or not receiving,' says the Doctor.

The Doctor uses a screwdriver to prise out the motionless robot's control sphere.

With the screwdriver clenched between his teeth the Doctor removes the silver sphere. 'Catch!'says the Doctor, throwing it to Jamie.

Travers watches as the glowing pyramid cracks open, discharging a foam-like substance which spews across the floor of the cave. Travers clutches his ears as the droning noise reaches an almost unbearable volume.

The Great Intelligence

The Doctor emerges from the TARDIS with a tracking device, just as the silver sphere starts bleeping. Jamie is barely able to prevent it flying back into the Yeti's chest. He buys them time by jamming a rock inside the robot's cavity.

Yeti Control Sphere

The sphere stops bleeping and drops to the ground. 'These things are programmed to return to their Yetis,' says the Doctor, who realises that the one that went missing from the monastery wasn't stolen – it moved by itself.

Khrisong is furious that Thonmi opened the gates, allowing the Yeti to escape.

Victoria says that there was no alternative and bravely claims responsibility for the idea.

'Was it also your idea to breathe life into the Yeti?' enquires Rinchen. Victoria says she was simply hiding in the meeting room – but falls silent when they ask her what she was hiding from.

Rinchen accuses Thonmi and Victoria of being conspirators. Khrisong orders them to be locked up.

On their way back to the monastery, the Doctor and Jamie's sphere begins emitting a different level of bleeping. Elsewhere, Songsten's Yeti escorts stop and turn back. Songsten continues his journey alone.

Yeti Control Sphere

While the Doctor seizes the opportunity to trace the main transmitter, Thonmi asks Victoria how the Doctor came across the holy bell.

Thonmi asks Victoria how the Doctor could have had the ghanta for the 300 years it had been missing. 'I know this sounds silly,' she replies, 'but the Doctor can travel through time and space.'

To Victoria's surprise, Thonmi claims to understand perfectly. 'It is said that our master, Padmasambhava, can free himself from his earthly body and travel great distances.'

Victoria asks him if he too may ever attain this state. 'Perhaps,' he replies, 'one day.'

Khrisong is openly critical of the absent Songsten and queries the very existence of Padmasambhava. He asks Rinchen to inform him as soon as the Doctor returns.

Ralpachan answers a knock at the gate and Songsten steps inside. 'Sleep Ralpachan,' says the Abbot, once again hypnotising him. 'You have not seen me.'

'You have done well, Songsten,' intones Padmasambhava from behind a veil in the inner sanctum. 'The Great Intelligence has begun to take on a material form. It must expand – and that is why the monks must leave the monastery.'

The sphere's signal leads the Doctor and Jamie to two Yeti. Jamie turns around to be confronted by a third.

Yeti Control Sphere

'Jamie,' says the Doctor, taking hold of the sphere. 'When I say run, run. Run like the wind.' The Doctor throws the sphere over his shoulder as the third Yeti advances.

The three Yeti ignore the Doctor and Jamie, and instead close in on the discarded sphere. 'It worked,' says a relieved Doctor.

The Yeti's sound

Victoria's attempts to break out of the cell are interrupted when Ralpachan enters with refreshments. Victoria sips the drink and soon after clutches her throat.

Victoria collapses in agony, and Ralpachan rushes out to get some water. When Thonmi's back is turned Victoria quickly gets up and locks the door behind her. 'I'm sorry, Thonmi,' she says before running off.

Abbot Songsten tells the monks that Padmasambhava has ordered the evacuation of the monastery.

Khrisong tells the Abbot that the Doctor has returned, bringing with him equipment to defeat the Yeti. 'I mean to fight!' he exclaims.

Sonsgten reassures the other monks, claiming that Khrisong has been led astray. Ralpachan reports that Victoria has escaped.

Khrisong tells the Doctor they must act quickly, before the Abbot intervenes.

There is a pounding at the gates. An hysterical Travers staggers in. 'Doctor,' he babbles, 'up there... the pyramid...' He collapses at their feet.

Khrisong defends the outsiders from Rinchen, but the Abbot reappears and orders him to obey. 'We will not leave,' asserts Khrisong.

'Khrisong, do not defy me,' replies the Abbot. 'Find the girl. Instruct your warriors.'

Songsten enters a trance to communicate with his master. 'Advise me, Padmasambhava. Khrisong turns his warriors away from the path of obedience.'

'Well,' replies the disembodied voice, 'if they will not be led then they must be driven from the monastery.'

'I understand,' says Songsten, and sends the last remaining monk out of the courtyard. He opens the gate and goes outside.

Padmasambhava's ancient hands manipulate the Yeti effigies, pushing them closer to the monastery. Meanwhile, an inquisitive Victoria approaches the inner sanctum.

'Come in, my child,' invites the whispered voice, and Victoria opens the bronze doors. As she approaches the shadowy figure at the end of the room the veil lifts to reveal Padmasambhava.

'Come in,' the voice repeats, echoing around the chamber. 'You have no alternative...'

Next Week: What are Padmasambhava's plans for Victoria?

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