The Impossible Planet (TV story)
Synopsis
The TARDIS lands in a base on a planet orbiting a black hole, an impossible situation that stumps even the Tenth Doctor. The base crew are drilling to the centre of the world, to claim the power that keeps it in orbit for themselves. However, an ancient evil is down there too, and he is awake…
=Plot
[Spoiler warning]
"We are the Legion of the Beast…"The TARDIS sluggishly materialises inside a storage area in what appears to be some kind of human-built base. The Doctor notes that there appears to be a problem with his ship. Rose suggests in a deadpan manner that if there is a problem, they could just go back in the TARDIS and leave. The two burst out laughing at the thought, and shrug the problem off. As they explore, the Doctor observes that the base they are in is one of many types constructed from pre-fabricated kits, comparing it to a bigger version of a "flat-packed" wardrobe.
The Doctor and Rose reach a habitation area, and he finally recognises it as a Sanctuary Base, meant for deep-space exploration expeditions. The soft hum of drilling machinery can also be heard, a constant background presence. Rose notices the English words "Welcome to Hell" scrawled on a wall above a series of strange, undecipherable letters. The Doctor examines the alien letters with concern, as the TARDIS is not automatically translating them. That means that the writing is impossibly old. The Doctor says that if they have travelled beyond the reach of the TARDIS's knowledge, it is not a good situation.
Opening another hatch, the two are startled as they are confronted by three humanoid aliens, with tentacles on the lower portion of their faces. A thin tube extends from the tentacles, connecting to a white sphere that each holds in their hand. As the Doctor tries to casually greet them, they begin to chant, "We must feed." The Doctor and Rose back up, and other hatches around them open, more aliens advancing on them, repeating the phrase over and over. The two are hemmed in, the Doctor raising his sonic screwdriver in defence, until one alien taps its globe as if restoring a loose connection, and completes the sentence, "We must feed... you, if you are hungry." It apologises, explaining that electromagnetic interference has disrupted the speech systems, and offers refreshment.
Another hatch opens, and three armed humans emerge. The leader, Jefferson, is surprised to see the Doctor and Rose, and reports their presence to Captain Zachary Cross Flane. Just then, the voice of Ida Scott comes over the base speakers, warning them of a "big one" coming. The base begins to shudder and an alarm sounds, as Jefferson hurries everyone into the corridors. The aliens, however, stay behind, seemingly unconcerned.
As the Doctor and Rose enter the control room, the other humans look at them incredulously, not believing that the two are really here. Zack tells everyone to strap up, and as there are no seats for the Doctor and Rose, tells them to just hold on to anything. The impact wave hits like an earthquake, sending systems sparking and throwing everything about violently. As the quake subsides, Zack shouts out a roll call, and the others respond, confirming they are all right.
Zack notes that the surface has caved in, but he has deflected the damage to Base Storage 5 through 8, which they have now lost completely. He sends Toby to check the rocket link. Rose observes that it must have been a major hurricane, but Scooti tells her that there's no air out there, just hard vacuum. When Rose asks what is out there, Ida realises that Rose really does not know. Ida introduces herself as the Science Officer, Zack as the acting Captain, Jefferson as Head of Security, Danny Bartok of the Ethics Committee, Toby Zed of Archaeology and Scooti Manista, Trainee Maintenance. That done, Ida throws a switch which opens the roof of the control room, revealing a window that shows the sky above the base.
The Doctor stares in shock at what is revealed: a black hole, which is drawing stellar matter into itself. The Doctor says that it is impossible for the planet to be in geostationary orbit around the black hole, as it should be pulled in like the star systems around it are, but Ida confirms that it is, beyond all laws of physics.
Zack displays a holographic image of the black hole, designated K37J5. The planet they are on is described in the Scriptures of the Faltino as Krop Tor, the Bitter Pill. The legend holds that the black hole was a mighty demon that was tricked into devouring the planet, only to spit it out as it was poison. The planet is generating a gravity field which holds it in constant balance against the pull of the black hole. The field extends outward into space as a funnel, which the expedition flew through to land here. In the process, however, their captain was lost, and Zack had to take command.
An alien gives Rose a drink. Rose asks what the alien's name is, but it replies that they have no title. Danny says that the aliens are the Ood, a slave race which serve as maintenance personnel. Rose is shocked that humans still own slaves, but Danny explains that the Ood offer themselves willingly. One Ood confirms that being given orders is all that they crave, as they have nothing else in life. Rose replies that she thought that too, once.
The Doctor calculates that the power requirements to generate the field would be phenomenal, a power source with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of 66 every 6 seconds, which is again impossible. Ida explains that is why they are here: the power source is ten miles down through solid rock, and they are drilling down to find it. Toby notes that it is not a natural phenomenon; the planet once supported some form of civilisation millions of years ago. The alien writing was copied from fragments recovered through drilling but he has not been able to translate them. Something was buried a long time ago, and it is calling them in, so they came. The Doctor is impressed that the humans have come so far to this place just because it was there, and hugs Zack.
The Doctor tells them, however, that they should get back in their ship and leave. Ida asks how the travellers got here, and when the Doctor explains where they parked the TARDIS, Zack asks if they put it in Storage 6. The Doctor remembers that Storage 5 through 8 had collapsed. Horrified, he and Rose run back, only to discover that the entire section of the base has collapsed, and the TARDIS has fallen into a crevasse down into the heart of the planet. Zack tells him they have no resources to divert the drilling: the TARDIS is lost, and the two are stranded in this time.
As the base transitions to the Night Shift, the Ood and the crew perform their designated tasks. However, odd things begin to happen. As Toby examines the recovered fragments in his room, he begins to hear a voice whisper his name, but there is nobody around. When Rose is served dinner from an Ood, it replies to a question by saying, "The Beast and his armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God." However, it then taps its globe and apologises, telling her it meant to say that it hoped she will enjoy her meal. As Zack is monitoring the progress of the drill, he does not see the holographic display show an image of a horned demon that growls; when he turns towards the sound, the image has vanished. Even the base computer utters that "He is awake."
The voice in Toby's room calls him again yet this time it is a deep and dark voice. It warns him not to turn around and look at it, lest he should die. After the voice says "I can touch you" Toby turns around, but there is nobody there. He looks back at the fragments, and notices the writing on them is gone. Somehow, the runes have been transferred to his hands, and his face is covered with them as well, his eyes turned red. He convulses and collapses.
The others watch the Scarlet System, home to the Pelushi, a billion-year-old civilisation, being swallowed by the black hole. The Doctor and Rose muse about being stuck in this time period, and the Doctor is pained at the thought of settling and living an ordinary life. Rose checks her mobile phone and initially gets no signal. Suddenly, it starts to ring, and when she answers it, a harsh voice tells her, "He is awake." At the same time, Toby lifts his head from the floor.
The Doctor and Rose go to where several Oods are seated, apparently asleep, and ask Danny how the Ood communicate. Danny says that they are empaths, connected by a low level telepathic field, measured at Basic 5. The Doctor asks if the Ood could pick up any signals, and Danny replies that with whole star systems being swallowed by the black hole, there are a lot of stray transmissions around. Besides, they monitor the telepathic field constantly. However, as the Doctor watches, the field strength climbs to Basic 30, and the Ood below them sit up and stare at them. Something is telepathically shouting in their heads. Rose tells Danny that the voice on her telephone said, "He is awake." The Ood reply in unison, "…and you will worship him." However, when the Doctor demands to know who "he" is, the Ood do not answer.
Scooti finds that someone has left the base. As she looks out a window, she sees Toby on the surface, impossibly not wearing a space suit. Toby turns, face still covered in the runes, and smiles at her. He raises his hand, beckoning to her. He then clenches his fist; the glass of the window shatters and air rushes out of the base. Zack orders everyone back into the corridors as he fights to seal the breach. Everyone makes it, including a now normal-looking and dazed Toby, but Jefferson notices that Scooti is missing. When they trace her signal to Habitation 3, they look up and see her dead body through the roof window, drifting through space towards the black hole. As the crew mourn Scooti's loss, the sound of drilling stops. They have reached their goal.
The Doctor volunteers to go with Ida down the mine shaft as Zack orders all non-essential Ood to be confined, with Danny watching over them. The Doctor and Ida travel down the shaft in a lift, turning on the air supplies to their space suits when they leave the base's oxygen field. As the lift reaches the bottom of the shaft, the Ood all stand up in unison, startling Danny.
The Doctor and Ida exit the lift, finding a massive cavern with giant and ancient sculptures along its walls. They head for the power source, guided by sensor readings. In the base, the Ood telepathic field has reached Basic 100 — brain death. However, they are obviously still alive. Jefferson and his two guards arm themselves and go keep to keep an eye on the Ood near the mine shaft.
The Doctor and Ida find a circular disk, about thirty feet in diameter, set in the floor of the cavern, which the Doctor suspects is a trap door of some sort. The edge of the disk is covered with the same runes. They communicate this to the base. Rose asks Toby if he has deciphered the lettering yet. Toby says he knows what the letters mean, and stands up to reveal himself transformed, with the runes covering his body again. He says, in the deep, dark voice that spoke to Rose earlier, that the Beast has woken, and now he will rise.
Jefferson holds him at gunpoint, demanding Toby stand down and threatening to shoot him. However, the runes slide off Toby's skin, possessing the Ood as Toby himself falls to the floor. The Ood speak as one, identifying themselves as the Legion of the Beast, who has many names — some call him Abaddon, Krop Tor, Satan or Lucifer. An Ood electrocutes one of the guards by extending its translation sphere to touch his forehead. Danny runs.
Jefferson backs up, with Rose and another guard, as the Ood advance on them. Below, the cavern begins to shake, debris raining down as the trap door begins to open. Zack warns everyone that the planet's gravity field is fading, and the planet is heading straight for the Black Hole.
The voice of the Beast, through the Ood, says that he had been imprisoned for eternity, but no more. As the Doctor and Ida look down the now open trap door, a booming voice declares that the Pit is open, and he is free...
