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22 October 2014

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Doctor Who | Photonovels | The Abominable Snowmen

Episode One contact sheet

A terrifying drama is unfolding on a desolate mountainside. A bearded man hears a scream and calls out after his companion. Clambering out of his tent, the man is brutally struck down by a huge creature.

The unknown creature disappears without trace into the night.

Its first victim lies dead. The second – the explorer, Professor Travers – is left unconscious.

The howling wind is the only sound as an eerie calm descends on the bleak landscape.

The TARDIS control room is the scene of great excitement. 'Marvellous!' exclaims the Doctor, looking at the view on the scanner. Jamie and Victoria are baffled.

Arriving in Tibet

'It's the Himalayas,' the Doctor explains, leaving Jamie none the wiser. 'Don't you know?' says Victoria. 'They're in India, or at least I think so.'

The Doctor points out that they are actually in Tibet. He scuttles over to a large trunk, opens the lid and begins a frantic search for something he calls a ghanta.

'That's a ghanta, then?' asks Jamie as the Doctor produces an alien-looking ornament. 'No,' replies the Doctor. 'Whatever it is, it's nice to see it again.'

Victoria says that she and Jamie could help the Doctor find the ghanta if they knew what it was.

'It's a Tibetan bell.' the Doctor explains. 'A holy relic.' The Doctor finds a large fur coat in the trunk, and decides to go outside. Victoria asks him why he wants the ghanta.

'Because down there, it's going to guarantee us the welcome of a lifetime,' he tells her before activating the door controls. 'Come on,' Jamie tells Victoria, 'we'd better find this bell of his.'

Victoria operates the scanner, which pans across the mountainside while Jamie rummages. He finds a scimitar, but while admiring its blade he catches sight of something alarming on the screen.

Victoria struggles to adjust the focus, and the scanner soon reveals that what Jamie thought was a 'great hairy beastie' is in fact the Doctor, dwarfed by his voluminous coat.

The Doctor embarks on a precarious journey down the mountainside until the source of his excitement comes into view. A broad grin spreads across his face.

Meanwhile, in the TARDIS, Jamie and Victoria unwittingly discover the true nature of the fortified settlement at the foot of the valley. They find a black bag whose label indicates it belongs in a monastery. 'That'll be where he's gone,' says Jamie.

The Doctor climbs back up the mountain towards the TARDIS. On the way, he finds some unusually large footprints. As he examines the ground a large creature silently observes him from a distance.

Jamie tells a dubious Victoria that the inhospitable climate outside won't affect him because he is a Highlander. They are interrupted by the returning Doctor, who seems unusually subdued and distracted.

The Doctor tells them that he is going to the Detsen monastery at the foot of the valley, and is emphatic that he goes alone.

Huddled inside his fur coat, the Doctor clutches the black bag and makes his way down the mountain.

Victoria soon gets bored waiting for the Doctor and persuades a reluctant Jamie that they should explore outside.

Heading for the monastery, the Doctor finds an abandoned tent - and, amongst the surrounding debris, a dead body. Spotting a discarded rifle and rucksack, the Doctor takes these as he resumes his journey.

'Come on,' says Victoria, bounding ahead of a shivering Jamie. 'It's a marvellous view.' Jamie heads back to the ship, and as Victoria follows him she catches sight of something unusual in the ground.

Huge footprints seem to encircle the TARDIS. A suspicious Jamie goes back inside to fetch the scimitar.

The Doctor knocks at the silent monastery's door but receives no reply. He calls out but still hears nothing in response.

The door makes a piercing creaking noise as he pushes it open. He steps through into a cavernous inner courtyard.

'Hello,' he calls into the darkness. 'Where is everybody?'

He walks across the courtyard, stopping before a giant cross-legged idol which stares impassively down at him.

The Doctor is startled by a sudden sound – a door opens to reveal a group of monks, some brandishing weapons. By their side is Professor Travers, the man knocked unconscious on the mountainside.

The Detsen Monks

'What do you want here?' demands the leading monk in measured, threatening tones. The Doctor barely has time to begin his reply.

'Look, he's got my rucksack,' says Travers, rushing forward to apprehend the Doctor. 'You murderous devil!' He grabs the bag from the Doctor.

Travers accuses the Doctor of having murdered his companion, John. One of the monks reminds Travers that he had claimed a beast attacked him. 'I felt its hair,' he responds. 'It's quite obvious now that it's this coat he's wearing.'

The Doctor protests his innocence as the monks begin to question him. A furious Travers accuses him of lying.

The monk explains that the murder of Travers' colleague is not the only recent tragedy, and that the monastery has also suffered losses. The protesting Doctor is led away to a cell.

'Watch him carefully, Khrisong,' says Travers, addressing the leading monk. 'He's dangerous.'

A younger monk points out that there is no evidence to suggest the stranger is responsible for the attacks. 'Of course he is,' insists Travers. 'Why, then, did he come here?' asks the younger monk. 'That, also, we shall discover,' promises Khrisong.

The Doctor is shepherded into a small room, and once inside he is locked in.

A dejected Doctor slumps onto the straw bed that dominates the room. 'The welcome of a life-time...' he mutters in disbelief.

Following the giant footprints, Jamie and Victoria discover the narrow opening to a deep cave.

The cave is clearly no animal's den – its roof is propped up by timber. Jamie decides to explore while Victoria waits outside.

'Jamie!' cries Victoria, 'there's something coming!' As a huge, furry creature approaches the cave-mouth, Victoria rushes to Jamie's side.

Huddled together in the shadows, they watch a towering creature enter the cave.

The creature pushes a huge boulder across the mouth of the cave, seemingly with little effort. Jamie and Victoria are plunged into darkness.

The Doctor pushes a stool against the wall and stands on top of it. Now able to reach the window, he peers outside. A hatch opens in the door behind him and Travers's face becomes visible.

'There's a hundred-foot drop beneath that window,' says Travers in mocking tones. He goes on to accuse the Doctor of being a sabotaging journalist. 'You laughed at me in the press,' he continues, 'Travers – the mad anthropologist.'

'Twenty years I've been searching, and now when I'm close to finding them, you want to steal my glory, just for the sake of a cheap headline.'

The Doctor asks him what he's searching for. 'The Yeti,' Travers replies. 'The Abominable Snowmen.'

The Doctor readily accepts that the Yeti are too timid to have carried out the recent attacks, but protests that he clearly doesn't possess the strength of the mystery assailints. This gives Travers brief pause for thought. 'Khrisong will find out the truth,' he concludes.

In the courtyard, the monks debate the Doctor's identity, and wonder whether Travers's accusations are justified.

The Detsen Monks

'Why should he lie?' asks Khrisong, who reminds the others that four of their brothers have already been killed. 'Had we not agreed that the Yeti were responsible?' asks Rinchen, one of the other monks.

'True,' says Khrisong, 'but had we not also wondered why? They are so rarely seen and then suddenly they become savage.'

Khrisong asks the others to let him prove the Doctor's guilt. 'You are asking us to condemn a man to certain death,' says fellow monk Sapan.

'I am chief warrior,' states Khrisong. 'Is it not my duty to protect you?' Sapan says that duty does not include taking a man's life. 'Yes,' argues Khrisong. 'If it is necessary.'

A booming gong announces the beginning of the monks' meditation. Ignoring the hotheaded Khrisong, Sapan decides that once meditation is over they will consult Abbot Songsten on the matter.

The Detsen Monks

'Bring me the prisoner,' says Khrisong darkly. He will defy his brothers and take the law into his own hands.

At the far end of the cave, Jamie discovers a curious pyramid structure, consisting of silver spheres on a raised plinth.

There is a noise at the other end and sunlight floods in. The hairy creature moves the boulder aside and advances towards Jamie and Victoria. Jamie threatens it with his scimitar.

'Get back!' urges a terrified Victoria. 'It will kill you!' To Jamie's astonishment the creature grabs the scimitar and snaps it in half.

Jamie retreats and Victoria grips on to his arm as the monstrous animal looms before them...

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