The Time
of the Ice Box - Part Four
Written by Bruce Stewart
The Director, furious to find Simon in his office, makes a grab
for him and attempts to throttle him. He suddenly begins repeating
his speech and then halts as if frozen, allowing Simon to escape
his grip. Dr. Bukov enters, without knocking, and the Director
apparently recovers, ignoring Simon. He immediately launches into
a criticism of Bukov's handling of that morning's power failure,
claiming he had been careless and that the failure was due to
human error. Bukov refutes the allegation but the Director launches
into a tirade against him and again appears to suffer some sort
of breakdown. Bukov leads Simon out into the corridor leaving
the Director bent over his desk motionless.
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Simon is recovering from his ordeal as Dr. Bukov asks him what
happened in the office. A distressed Simon explains that the Director
tried to kill him. Bukov tells Simon something that he thinks
he should know. He tells him that the Director isn't a human being
in the normal sense, describing him as 'a man of the future...'
Simon fails to understand what Bukov means.
He follows Bukov into the Computer room and enquires further.
Bukov explains more about the basic processes of cloning and adds
that the Director is a clone: the first one ever. He was created
from cells taken from the original Morgan C. Devereaux in the
sixties. He refers to the Director as being an experiment in progress
and that he and Dr. Joynton are monitoring the Director. The incident
that happened earlier involving Simon is probably more important
than it seems. The two retire to the corridor where Bukov asks
Simon to tell him if he notices any further strange occurrences.
Bukov leaves Simon pondering.
Beth has taken Liz to another room where she plans to keep her
locked up. Liz accuses Beth of picking on her and launches into
a series of colourful metaphors. Beth puts her cards on the table
still labouring under the false assumption that the computer summoned
her. She locks her in the room. Liz, alone, puts on a tape of
music. Jean arrives at the door to find it locked. She lets herself
in and Liz explains what happened outside the Director's office
and that Beth had locked her up. Jean cautions Liz to be careful
while she is here. A frustrated and distraught Liz asks Jean again
why she and Beth are here. Jean explains that it all began in
the 70s when Frank's business failed and the family lost their
house. In looking for another way of living, Beth had the idea
of coming to the Ice Box. She had gone into what Jean refers to
as "an intelligence enhancement course." Jean fears
that the process had not been perfected and that it was this that
caused "Liz" to become "Beth". Jean wanted
to stay with Beth in the hope that one day she might change back.
Liz asks about her father. Jean doesn't want to answer further
save assuring Liz that her father is still alive.
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In the Computer room, Dr. Joynton is dishing out the dosages
of HA57 to everyone including Simon and Liz. Dr. Joynton points
out that the Director gets his dosage separately.
Later in the Fantasy room, Larry is attempting to interest an
unresponsive Liz in trying out the fantasy apparatus. He accuses
her of being like Beth, which upsets Liz. Larry calls Beth who
is busy writing at a desk. He explains that the apparatus can
also link fantasies between two or more people. Liz is suddenly
interested in the idea when Larry mentions about a "trip
to the moon". Beth is still unimpressed and reminds Larry
that he joined the base after being made redundant and had nowhere
to go. Larry and Liz settle down in the fantasy apparatus to experience
their moon trip. Simon leaves them to it. Beth tells Simon that
he and Liz are to report to Dr. Joynton the following morning
for tests. She also reveals to a horrified Simon the nature of
the AB experiments that are to be carried out on them - the replacement
of body parts with artificial ones.
The following morning, the Director is overseeing Dr. Joynton's
checking of Simon and Liz in the infirmary. He wants Dr. Joynton
herself to carry out the operations and outlines the schedule
for the children's surgery including a heart replacement for Simon.
Dr. Joynton wants to take a cast of Liz's arm in preparation for
the replacement of it with an artificial one. Liz is mortified
and Simon tries vainly to reassure her. Liz and the doctor head
off out of the Infirmary leaving Simon alone with the Director.
The Director quietly warns Simon off entering his office in future.
Simon apologetically says he was just curious and tries to impress
the Director with the knowledge he gained from Bukov about "depth
research". The Director is having none of it and accuses
Simon of wanting to gain the knowledge of the longevity drug for
his own ends. He begins to launch into a verbal attack on the
boy when he suddenly stops dead; frozen in mid sentence. Slowly,
Simon tries to examine him but the black out only last a few seconds.
The Director returns to consciousness and calmly warns Simon off.
He leaves a puzzled Simon in the Infirmary alone.
A distraught Liz is explaining to Jean about the AB experiments.
Jean, too, is horrified by their nature and suggests Liz and Simon
return back through the time barrier. Liz says she can't until
she finds out what happened to her father. Jean still refuses
to tell her. In a moment of calm, Liz asks Jean why she let her
and Simon return back through the time barrier back in 1970? Jean
cannot recall ever having done this. She recalls their return
from 1940 but nothing else. She admits that the ice box scares
her and that the only reason she stays there is for Liz's father's
sake. In revealing this, she asks that Liz and Simon leave back
through the time barrier.
In the Computer room, Larry and Dr. Bukov are hooking the Director
up directly to the computer. Simon watches and asks Bukov to explain
the process. Quietly, Simon tells Bukov about the blackouts, which
he has seen the Director have: first in his office then again
in the Infirmary. Bukov guardedly says he has seen nothing of
this behaviour in the Director. As he attempts to explain away
the incidents, he interrupted by Larry who informs him that there
is a power surge. Bukov says to mention the blackouts to no one.
As Bukov goes across to Larry, Simon leaves the Computer room.
In the corridor outside, he meets Liz and tells her the Director
is on brain link. They can get into his office now and find out
about the longevity drug. Liz is still obsessed with the situation
involving her mother and Beth. Simon adds about her obvious interest
in Larry in the Fantasy room earlier. Their "lover's tiff"
is broken up by Dr. Joynton on her way to the Fantasy room.
In the Fantasy room, Beth is busy with her papers as Dr. Joynton
hooks herself up to the fantasy apparatus. As the doctor settles
into her fantasy, Beth leaves the room.
Simon and Liz quietly enter the Director's office. Simon opens
the secret door but their investigation is cut short by Beth.
The two quickly hide as Beth enters. She sees the open door to
the room beyond and goes inside. Once inside, she checks off readings
as the children watch.
In the Fantasy room, Dr. Joynton is experiencing some discomfort
and staggers from the fantasy apparatus struggling for breath.
Simon and Liz elect to leave the office but stumble by the desk
making a noise that alerts Beth.
Dr. Joynton is struggling to reach a switch set into the wall.
Beth sees the children trying to escape the office when an alarm
klaxon blares out. All of them head for the Fantasy room where
Dr. Bukov has discovered the prone form of Dr. Joynton. He turns
her body face up to reveal a haggard ancient and very dead face...
Complete cast for part four
Cheryl Burfield (Liz Skinner), Spencer Banks (Simon Randall),
Iris Russell (Jean Skinner), John Barron (Devereaux), Mary Preston
(Beth Skinner), Peggy Thorpe-Bates (Dr. Edith Joynton), John Barcroft
(Dr. Bukov), Robert Oates (Larry).
Script Editor Ruth Boswell
Scientific Adviser Geoffrey Hoyle
Designer Michael Eve
Director Peter Jefferies
Producer John Cooper
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