Episode Guide

Story One...
The Wrong End Of Time

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Story Two...
The Time of the Ice Box

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Story Three...
The Year of the Burn Up

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

Part Seven Part Eight

Story Four...
The Day of the Clone

Part One Part Two

Part Three Part Four

Part Five Part Six

The Time of the Ice Box - Part Six

Written by Bruce Stewart

Simon and Liz enter the lobby of the Ice Box. Simon hands Liz a survival suit and tells her to put it on.
In the Computer Room Beth indicates that the temperature is now normal again. Dr. Bukov notes it is another breakdown in the standard procedures of the base's systems. Beth is now also curious as to the cause.

In the lobby Liz is suited up and is ready to leave for the time barrier. However, Simon seems deep in thought. He then announces he is staying to find out more about the longevity drug. Despite Liz's protests, he propels her through the door, closing it behind her.
Outside Liz heads for where the time barrier is located. She passes several of the large ice blocks (seen in episode one). Something causes her to pause and examine one of the blocks more closely. She cracks open a thin layer of ice to reveal a human face underneath. To her horror, she realises it is the face of her father.

In the Computer Room, Beth is arguing with Larry over why things are going wrong. She isn't convinced by Larry's blasé answers. Bukov reveals that the Director is suffering from blackouts. Beth says she witnessed one not half an hour ago and isn't surprised he does, since he's under a lot of pressure because of their hindrance. She storms out.
On the ice field, Liz is clawing at the ice surrounding her father's face. She pleads vainly to him to wake up before realising the futility of her actions. She collapses to the ground in tears. The dial on Frank's ice block triggers an alarm in the base.
His body is brought into the infirmary where the Director demands answers. The Director and Bukov are joined by Jean and Beth. Bukov offers the theory that it is something to do with the temperature rise. Bukov can offer no further answers. The Director questions Liz about how she escaped. Jean says it was because she was unhappy. Liz chimes in to say she is alright and that she knows nothing about how the electronic shield failed. The Director wants to know what has become of Simon.
Simon is listening at the door to Infirmary.
Dr. Bukov explains to the Director that Frank will have to be artificially fed for the next few weeks. The Director becomes frustrated at the group's lack of answers. It is obvious that Bukov is angry with the Director and he accuses him of not so much asking questions but offering up his own conclusions for the rest of them to accept blindly. He turns to Beth for further support.

Out in the corridor, Simon hides as Bukov exits. The Director storms after him and admonishes Bukov. Bukov ignores him and walks off. The Director asks Beth to join him but Beth tells him she wants to monitor the patient and, in turn, the children's reaction to his recovery.

In the Infirmary as Frank begins to recover, Liz questions her mother's decision not to have told her about her father's involvement in the Ice Box experiment programme. Jean cannot quell Liz's disappointment with her. When Beth's name is brought up, Liz instantly blames her for the situation unaware that Beth has just entered the room. Beth says everything will be alright. The experiment was controlled by the computer. Liz is unconvinced by Beth's loyalty to the computer and in turn questions Beth's blind obedience to the Director. Beth says that Liz cannot understand how brilliant the man is and calls her a stupid little girl. As the two begin to argue further, Jean steps in and tells them both to stop - it's Frank they should be worrying about now. Liz apologises. When Liz asks why Frank took part in the experiment, Beth reveals that he should have remained in the ice for ten years and that he knew that when he volunteered. Beth adds that the experiment is now to be deemed a failure. Jean finally reveals to Liz that her and Beth's presence at the Ice Box is a direct result of an agreement made when Frank volunteered for the hibernation experiment. Beth and Jean were only allowed to come to the Ice Box if Frank agreed to be a guinea pig in the ten-year experiment. Liz is disgusted with them for allowing him to do it. She admonishes Beth further and Beth asks Jean to send her away. Jean does nothing and Liz further pushes the point home that she and Beth aren't the same person anymore. She questions Beth's loyalty to the Director again pointing to the prone body of Frank on the bed as an example of the Director's work. Beth slowly turns to him.

In the corridor, Simon comes out of hiding and heads into the Director's office.
The Director is still accusing Bukov of being responsible for the rise in temperature and questions his constant defence of Liz and Simon. Larry enters. The Director dismisses everyone on the base as suspects and again points to Bukov as the suspected culprit. Bukov announces he has evidence concerning the things that have been going wrong. He was intending to make a report to the International Commission. The Director is apoplectic.
Simon enters the darkened Inner Computer room in the Director's office.

Bukov shows the Director the computer spools containing the evidence and reveals that he and Dr. Joynton were working together on it. The Director knew nothing of this, much to his horror. He is further horrified when Bukov explains that they were reporting on him. He says the tapes contain breaks in programming that the Director tries to dismiss. Bukov moves to show the Director evidence from the tape but is stopped when Larry indicates another problem with the base's heating. This time it is a drop in temperature. The Director backs away from them.

Simon is in the inner computer room when he hears some kind of alert sound - a slab set into the rear wall begins to glow.
Larry reports that the temperature has dropped by three degrees in the last half hour. Bukov offers the Director the truth. The Director tries to dismiss it but Bukov is insistent that errors occurred whilst the Director was on brain link. Larry announces that the temperature is now down four degrees.

In the Infirmary, Frank is starting to come round. Jean asks Liz to leave. Her presence might be too much for him. Reluctantly Liz leaves. Beth moves to leave also but Jean asks if she will stay. Beth refuses but stays long enough to see Frank regain consciousness and speak his first croaky word to Jean.

Out in the corridor, Beth tries to talk to Liz. She admits that Liz doesn't like her. Finally Beth sees what each of them are. Beth is someone Liz will never be whilst Liz is someone she never was. They are interrupted by Simon who rushes out of the Director's office. He says he now understands about the testament. Beth and Liz reluctantly follow him back into the office and the inner computer room. Behind the glowing panel, images are forming showing the apparent life history of Devereaux. Simon asks Beth if she really knows the true nature of the Director. She tells him Bukov told him that he was a clone. Beth is astounded as Simon reveals further that the so-called "inner computer" is there to build another clone - the testament that Bukov spoke of. The secret of the longevity drug will remain in the mind of the new clone.

The temperature of the base is dropping further. In the Computer room, Bukov is still trying to convince the Director that the fault is in the programming whilst the Director is still immovable in his opinion that it isn't. Eventually Bukov can take it no more. He tells Larry that HE is taking command. The Director cannot be trusted to govern them anymore. The Director is speechless.

In the corridor outside, Liz and Simon start shivering as the base's temperature lowers even further. The Director rushes into the corridor calling for Beth only to be restrained by Bukov who along with Larry drags him back struggling to the Computer room. Liz, Simon and Beth follow them. Larry throws an electronic shield around the Director as he calls again for Beth to help him. Bukov laces up one of the computer tapes in order to show the Director the errors on it. It is the one showing the previous days HA57 dosages and the one that will reveal how Dr. Joynton died. The Director and Bukov link up with the computer as it shows them the dosages for each of the base's personnel. Suddenly, when they reach the information regarding Dr. Joynton, the Director lets out a scream of disbelief as the tape reveals a break in the programme: a break that resulted in Dr. Joynton not getting her correct dosage. Bukov asks the Director if they should also analyse the other tapes... He finally confronts the Director with the fact that he suffers from blackouts that he cannot control, and advises him that he must go on brain link to correct the errors he has made to save the base. The Director still cannot accept his own failing and refuses to believe the evidence in a fit of paranoia. He says he'll leave them to their fate and makes a break for the door. Bukov tries to stop him but the Director escapes....

In the Control room, Beth, Larry, Liz and Simon are feeling the effects of the cold. Simon points to the anti-freeze compound as they're only hope. Larry sends an emergency signal to central control. As Larry makes for the supply cupboard to get the anti-freeze, Beth says sorry to him.

Out in the corridor, Liz takes some of the anti-freeze compound to her parents whilst Simon is told by a disbelieving Bukov that the Director simply ran out into the freezing cold outside the base.

Liz gives the compound to Jean and explains the dénouement in the computer to her. She promises not to let this future happen and leaves her parents to their fate.
Simon is already dressed in a survival suit when Liz arrives at the entrance. He tosses one silently across to her and she begins to put it on.
In the Computer room, Bukov administers his dosage of the anti-freeze compound. On the floor are the unconscious bodies of Larry and Beth... now hand in hand.

The Ice Box is freezing over and an eerie silence pervades the base.
In the inner computer room, the cabinet holding the Devereaux testament shatters.
As they make their way across the ice field to the time barrier, Liz and Simon discover the frozen body of the Director - his face contorted in a horrifying death mask.

Complete cast for part six

Cheryl Burfield (Liz Skinner), Spencer Banks (Simon Randall), Iris Russell (Jean Skinner), Derek Benfield (Skinner), John Barron (Devereaux), Mary Preston (Beth Skinner), John Barcroft (Dr. Bukov), Robert Oates (Larry).

Script Editor Ruth Boswell
Scientific Adviser Geoffrey Hoyle
Instrumentation Century 21
Designer Michael Eve
Director Peter Jefferies
Producer John Cooper

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