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 Year of the Burn Up - Part Three

Written by Bruce Stewart

The old man ........ proceeds to unravel one of the spools of tape on a nearby computer bank. He snips a section of the unravelled tape and pockets it before attempting to re-attach the two cut ends. Simon sees this and creeps up on him. As the old man continues with his apparent act of sabotage, Simon asks him what he is doing. The old man, startled, turns to face the boy. His face revealed to him, Simon can only utter the name of the man he now recognises as Commander Traynor...

Traynor doesn't recognise Simon at first but when he does he admonishes Simon for not following his instructions back in 1970 and staying away from the time barrier. Simon is more curious that Traynor remembers the event from the past. As he points out, in some of the time barrier's projections people don't usually remember things like that. However, Simon suspects that Controller 2957 knows more about his past than he's telling. At the mention of the Controller's name, Traynor is moved to anger. He tells Simon he should never have returned and adds that he's getting old and very tired. As he turns to leave, Traynor makes Simon promise that he'll tell no one that he has seen him.... especially 2957. As he leaves, he says that it was he who created all this. Simon recalls the mention of it during his chat with him in his office in 1970. Now Traynor has fallen from grace and become, in his own words, "a misfit".

With that he leaves via the secret door.
Controller 2957 is in his office where Alpha 4 is showing him the instructional tape relating to the production of synthetic rubber for the Atlantic Curtain. According to Alpha 4, the tape does not contain any reference to 2957's order. Whilst 2957 accepts Alpha 4's word, he still cannot accept that he didn't make the order. He asks for confirmation that he gave the order from the two Alpha secretaries but only proceeds to mix up their identities. He gets Alpha 4 to bring up a map of the current situation on the Atlantic Curtain project. He is shocked to discover that they are so far behind the Americans. Again, he pleads ignorance as the evidence points to his incompetence. Alpha 4 remains calm as he patronises the Controller telling him there is no record.

Behind a secret window into the office, Traynor is watching the exchange.
2957 reveals that the delay may result in disaster for the project. He finally loses his temper complaining that the department had better buck its ideas up. As 2957 defends the Master Plan, Simon enters the office. He sees Simon as a welcome diversion telling him that they'll continue their tour. Leaving Alpha 4 to sort out the problem, he leaves with Simon. The Alpha secretaries discuss their Controller and surmise that he must be tired. Alpha 4 has come up with another reason. His examination of the tape has revealed a definite edit in the tape.

Behind the secret window, Traynor breaks out into a sinister grin.
Back at the jungle community, Vera is showing one of the misfits how to tend the vegetables.
Paul is teaching some of the new misfits about poultry and reveals that few of them have never seen an egg before having been brought on synthetic foods created by the technocracy.
In the art room, Beth is teaching a group of misfits to paint. Liz is also painting... a picture of the Ice Box.... Or rather trying! Liz is adamant that she can't paint but Beth reveals that her schoolteachers didn't know how to harness her genuine talents. Liz asks Beth what made her want to start the community. She says that at a point in her life, she decided that education was a charade and decided to move away somewhere with a few "unspoilt youngsters" to bring them up to be themselves. She also reveals there are similar communities all over England and into the rest of Europe. The video screen buzzes an alert. Activating it they scan the jungle.

Near the village, Simon is bidding farewell to a nervous 2957. A final query from Simon brings up the subject of Commander Traynor. 2957 doesn't want to talk about him. He was Traynor's personal assistant and explains that Traynor betrayed the technocracy when he tampered with the Master Plan. "Now society has a score to settle with him.... just as it does with Beth!"

Beth and Liz have watched the conversation on the screen. Beth hopes that Simon has seen a taste of both the future and his future self. As she returns to working on her sculpture, Beth becomes self-deprecating about herself claiming that Liz wouldn't want to grow up to become her. Liz says she is wrong. Beth also explains that at one point, she and Simon were to be married.

The news of Liz and Simon's future "relationship" comes as a shock to Simon when Controller 2957 reveals it to him in the jungle. In the end, continues 2957, they were incompatible.
Liz cannot understand their incompatibility. Beth jokes that it takes a lot off Liz's mind, and says that they were proven to be so by computer. Whilst 2957 had straight A's, Beth ended up with a D-minus.

Controller 2957 reflects that they were both saved from a nasty mistake. Simon ponders on Beth's D-minus in the tests.
Liz is upset that the test shows her to be little more than a moron.
Both Simon and 2957 are now sitting in the jungle and quietly feeling sorry for Beth and Liz. Meanwhile, in the community, Liz is spitting feathers about Simon in front of a highly amused Beth.

At the Ministry, Alpha 4 has removed a file from a cupboard. It relates to a cloning programme and is dated May 1989. He walks forward as he begins to read it. He stops by a blinded window. The sunlight filters through as the blinds suddenly flick open and he staggers, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright sun.
In the community, Paul comments on the heat. He thinks the sun is getting hotter and brighter. Vera doesn't believe him. Paul calls out to the other misfits that it's time to go foraging. Simon asks Liz if she wants to go with him. Liz is still upset about the revelation that she is a "moron". Liz's outburst to Simon amuses Vera. As Vera explains how she became a misfit she tells the two children that she is a B+ which Simon says is great.... offending Liz in the process who storms off.
Beth is in the community's square. She comes over giddy for a moment and looks up. For a brief period, sparkling particles appear to fall from the sky. Vera and Simon return from their foraging. Vera says that Paul was right. It is getting hotter. Simon speaks to Beth who is preparing some preserves in one of the huts. He comments on the odd thunder from the previous day whilst Beth mentions the "dancing lights" from earlier. Simon is suffering from future shock and begins to talk about all the changes and developments he is having to get used to. He mentions "clones". Beth thinks "clones" are a dead end! She tells Simon that the clones are divided into "Deltas" and "Alphas" - the hunters are Deltas. Simon asks if Controller 2957 goes along with the cloning programme... She also tells her that 2957 still likes her. Beth says the animosity between her and 2957 goes back to the computer test, which revealed to her who she really was. However Beth wasn't really interested in the test. She was only interested in the fact that 2957 might be in love with her.
Liz is foraging in the jungle when she is grabbed by Paul and dragged into the cover of the bushes. He beckons her to be quiet. Two hunters (including Delta 22) are patrolling nearby with orders not to shoot unless they have to. Paul ponders on the hunter's orders. As the two move to make their way back to the community, Liz notices the dying vegetation.
Back at the community, Vera has also noticed a similar problem with her cabbages. She calls out to Beth and Simon who come to comfort her.

Paul is checking a dead bush whilst Liz sees that the creek into which she and Simon fell when they arrived, has dried up.
As Simon and Beth try to comfort a distressed Vera, a heavy branch falls from a tree. Beth comments that 2957 and the technocrats have finally done it. "They're burning us up!"

Complete cast for part three

Denis Quilley (Commander Traynor), Cheryl Burfield (Liz Skinner), Spencer Banks (Simon Randall), Mary Preston (Beth Skinner), David Graham (2657), Brain Pettifer (Paul), Merdel Jordine (Vera), Ian Fairbairn (Alpha 4), Teresa Scoble (Alpha 16), Lisa Scoble (Alpha 17), Delta 22 (Patrick Durkin)

Script Editor Ruth Boswell
Scientific Advisor Geoffrey Hoyle
Designer Michael Eve
Director Peter Jefferies
Producer John Cooper

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