The Day
of the Clone - Part Three
Written by Victor Pemberton
Commander Traynor turns to face Devereaux and Frazer only to
discover he is now alone in the monitoring room. He walks across
to the door, which he finds is locked. A hissing sound fills the
room and Traynor glances upwards to see a nozzle pouring out a
thick cloudy vapour. He begins to choke as the gas reaches him.
Inside the time chamber, Liz and Simon, still clutching their
ears from the penetrating sound beam, see Traynor trying to smash
his way through the observation window using a chair. Before he
can do anything further he collapses to the floor unconscious.
As the room begins to clear, two figures in gas masks stand over
the Commander's inert body...
Liz and Simon are still suffering from the effects of the sound
beam in the time chamber as they try to see what is going on in
the observation room.
The gas-masked figures prepare a gurney and load Traynor's unconscious
body onto it. They hide it from view under a blanket. As they
are about to leave, one of the figures flicks a switch.
In the time chamber, Liz and Simon are relieved that the sound
beam has subsided. Liz asks what the terrible noise was. Simon
is mystified and indicates where he thinks it came from. He is
more worried about what the masked men were doing to Traynor in
the observation room. The two friends look across to the window
where they saw Traynor being gassed. As they ponder on what happened,
they are startled by the other people in the time chamber. They
have been frozen figures throughout the whole incident but suddenly
they are alive... One walks over to them. It is a young woman
in regency dress. She is friendly towards to them. She admits
that they are all dressed rather stupidly indicating the others
in the room. It dawns on Simon that he recognises the girl. It
is Maria whom he met in 1970... but she is now obviously MUCH
younger. He calls her by name and this disturbs her for a moment.
Liz blurts out that they will meet each other five years from
now. Simon realises that she "...was much older then!"
Devereaux, Dr. Frazer and De Sarem together with two orderlies
are taking Traynor's gurney through the reception area. The gurney
is wheeled into the lift. De Sarem accompanies it as the doors
close shut. Dr. Frazer expresses his concern over what they are
doing to Traynor. Devereaux tries to reassure him that the gas
is merely a tranquilliser. It is not what Dr. Frazer meant. They
are interrupted by a ward sister who greets them cheerfully. The
two scientists move into a quiet corner away from the activity
of the reception area. Dr. Frazer is angry. His hushed questioning
of Devereaux's motives provides little comfort to him especially
as the scientist appears to have other plans for Traynor.
Maria cautiously leads Liz and Simon into what appears to be
a girls' dormitory. She explains to the two children that they
are treated well at R1. She comments about the food - three meals
a day. Simon retorts with a quip about it being the prisoner's
last request! Maria turns the conversation towards the earlier
one about meeting her in the future. She is puzzled. Simon tells
her that it's a very long story and that she probably won't believe
it. But Liz is quick to point out that she and the other volunteers
are all in great danger. Maria asks why? Simon asks what Maria
and the volunteers are doing here. Maria explains that they are
in the Devereaux Institute and that she and the volunteers are
all students here on their summer break to help Professor Devereaux
with his experiments. Liz asks what experiments? Maria is incredulous
at her ignorance of Devereaux's research into life expansion.
Simon realises his theory about the longevity research was right.
Maria explains about the methods used including the hypnosis under
Mr. De Sarem. Liz is disturbed by all this but Maria is quick
to reassure her. The hypnosis in the time chamber is, according
to Maria, quite enjoyable and they don't know it is happening.
She further explains that there are other chambers throughout
the building as well as the regency room, including a Neolithic
cave and a space capsule. Liz surmises that through this method,
the occupants of the time chambers can be "transported"
through time. Simon is disturbed by the revelation and deduces
that it is one of the early stages that Devereaux is using as
part of his cloning process. But this doesn't explain to Liz why
she was in the room with no windows...
Commander Traynor is still unconscious and lying on a bed in
an oxygen tent. He is being tended to by a nurse. Dr. Frazer is
also in the room. Once the nurse has left, he turns to the Commander
whose eyes are now wide open. He speaks to the Commander softly
but Traynor is unable to move. Dr. Frazer explains he is still
paralysed. He tries to reassure the Commander and babbles about
it not being his fault. Traynor asks for his help but Dr. Frazer
is too scared to give it. Devereaux would kill him.
In the girls' dormitory, Maria is incredulous about Devereaux's
ulterior motives. She still sees him as a just man but Simon's
further questioning digs deeper. Maria reveals that all the volunteers
answered an advertisement in a newspaper. She recalls her first
interview with Devereaux and comments on how he friendly he was.
She also recalls his comment about "getting old becoming
a thing of the past" if they helped with his experiments."
Maria is still unconvinced about Liz and Simon's story of meeting
her as an old woman in five years time. Even if she did believe
them, why was she an old woman? Devereaux's longevity research
is into prolonging life... not shortening it. Simon indicates
that the longevity research will never actually be perfected.
That is why Commander Traynor wanted the formula of the longevity
drug. Maria tells them that no drugs have been used on them but
Liz icily adds that they WILL eventually use them on Maria and
the others. Maria is still sceptical. They are all volunteers
after all. Simon points to the bars on the windows and asks why
they can't walk out at any time. Maria insists that it isn't true
and is on the verge of crying. Liz tries to convince her to get
out of the institute before it is too late.
In his office, Devereaux is examining a series of photos with
De Sarem when he comes across ones of Simon and Liz. Devereaux
doesn't recognise either of them, as De Sarem points out that
they were amongst the last batch of volunteers. Devereaux wants
answers from De Sarem about them. He wants to know where they
are now and telephones the ward sister.
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In the dormitory, Maria warns Liz and Simon that they must leave
or they will be caught. Liz asks about what Maria will do. She
tells her that she doesn't know yet... at least not until she's
had a chance to talk to the other volunteers. Maria gives them
directions to the laundry room where they can safely escape. Simon
doesn't want to leave yet. They still have questions that remain
unanswered but Liz convinces him they won't find out anything
if they are caught. Maria checks the door. The ward sister is
on her way. She quickly hides Liz and Simon under some bedclothes.
The ward sister enters. She indicates Liz "asleep" in
one of the beds and Maria shies the sister away explaining that
it is one of the other volunteers sleeping it off. Satisfied,
the sister tells Maria she should be at meal break and leaves.
Maria gives Liz and Simon the all clear and the two get up from
the bed. Simon complains to Liz that she should have taken her
shoes off.
Fully conscious but still feeling the effects of his temporary
paralysis, Traynor is staring at the ceiling of his room. De Sarem
enters the room and checks that Traynor is awake. The paralysed
Traynor wants some water. De Sarem pours him a glass and holds
it inches from the Commander's mouth. De Sarem wants information
from Traynor - information about his past, his present, his future!
Devereaux is furious. He is in the time chamber's monitoring
room and demanding Dr. Frazer tell him who unbolted the door to
the chamber. He now wants a guard placed on the door. He and Dr.
Frazer enter the chamber. After a perfunctory examination, Devereaux
finds a bracelet on the floor. He reminds Dr. Frazer of the rule
about no personal jewellery being worn during the experiments
and he examines the chain. Changing his mind, he tells Dr. Frazer
to forget about his request for a guard. He drapes the bracelet
over the back of a chair and comments about setting a trap for
their "mice".
Liz has admitted to Simon she has lost her bracelet. It is one
her mother gave to her. Simon is aghast when they realise it is
probably in the time chamber. Despite Liz's pleadings, Simon still
wants to find out what happened to Traynor and why Devereaux wants
him out of the way. Liz is still disturbed by her experiences
in the room without windows and Simon realises that is undoubtedly
the place that Traynor would have been taken to. Reassuring Liz
that nothing can happen to them whilst they are in the past, Simon
leads the way to the room.
In the reception area, Devereaux tells the concierge behind the
desk to close the main gate. De Sarem exits from the lift and
tells Devereaux that everything is ready for him. Devereaux tells
De Sarem that he wants Traynor "prepared for primary course
hypnotherapy - one hour from now!"
Liz and Simon have found the room without windows and are horrified
to see Traynor lying still in bed. Traynor sees them and asks
who they are? He doesn't recognise them as (as Simon points out
to Liz) it is 1965 and he has yet to meet the two children. Liz
tries to reassure the agitated Traynor that they are his friends.
They tell him that Devereaux did this to him - they saw him. He
babbles about Devereaux being mad and wanting to "destroy
us all." He asks the children to go to his office in Whitehall
and tell his people to get help. Reluctantly, Liz and Simon make
to leave but they hear voices approaching from outside. Quickly,
they hide under Traynor's bed. Devereaux enters. He is dressed
for surgery. He reminds Traynor about their dream. A dream, that
is about to become reality. He chides Traynor for wanting to throw
away the opportunity and indicates that the technological future
is the only way forward. He obliquely offers Traynor immortality
adding that one day the world will be theirs. He leaves the room.
Liz and Simon come out of hiding. Liz is convinced that Devereaux
is mad, however Simon appears to agree with some of Devereaux's
ideas about the future. As the two begin to argue, Traynor calls
out to them to go. Simon tells Traynor that everything will be
all right as he and Liz have seen him in the future. Liz explains
about the incident at the naval station during the war. Traynor
appears surprised that they know of it. He recalls Frank Skinner
and surmises that Liz must be Frank's daughter and that he can
trust her. Liz promises that they WILL be back and the two leave.
In the corridor outside, Liz is upset about leaving the helpless
Traynor behind. Simon tells her that the only way they can help
him is in the future and by getting back to their own time phase.
As Liz and Simon depart, De Sarem arrives. Looking furtive, he
enters Traynor's room.
In the reception area, the concierge is talking on the phone
with his back to the main corridor. Liz and Simon appear and,
oblivious to the concierge, make their way past him and towards
the exit. The ward sister then appears. Realising his "boss"
is watching, he quickly puts the phone down to return to his work.
As Liz and Simon pass the time chamber room, Simon realises that
Liz's bracelet is still in there. They must retrieve it; otherwise
Devereaux and his people will know they have been in there. Luckily
for them the time chamber door is still open and they enter the
regency-style room. Liz hunts round for it and sees it dangling
on the back of a chair. Before she can pick it up, Simon grabs
her. He reminds her that they were hiding on the floor when it
was lost. Why is it now on the back of a chair? Before they can
react, the door to the chamber is slammed shut. From another door
emerge two security guards in gas masks brandishing guns.
Liz and Simon find themselves fastened into chairs in a darkened
room. Lights play across their faces. Simon warns her not to reveal
anything to their captors. Suddenly, the noise of the sound beam
can be heard. Liz panics. Simon tells her to "hold on"
as the sound beam rises in power...
Complete cast for part three
Cheryl Burfield (Liz Skinner), Spencer Banks (Simon Randall),
John Barron (Devereaux), Denis Quilley (Commander Traynor), Derek
Sydney (De Sarem), Ian Fairbairn (Dr. Frazer), Mary Larkin (Maria),
Hilary Liddell (Ward Sister), Bruce Beeby (Desk Attendant).
Script Editor Ruth Boswell
Scientific Adviser Geoffrey Hoyle
Designer Gerry Roberts
Director David Foster
Producer John Cooper
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