The Wall of Lies

Dear Diary,

Before Susan and Ping-Cho could panic too much about the eyes following them about the cave, Tegana appeared, asking us what we were doing there. I informed him we were searching for Miss Wright and showed him her handkerchief, which he assumed we’d found in a passageway off the side of the cave. He told us we should leave due to the evil spirits, but Chesterton and Polo arrived before I could discuss the non-existence of ghosts with him.

Chesterton noticed something moving behind the eyes in the rock face as well, and found a hidden chamber revealing a Mongol warrior preparing to slay Miss Wright. Without thinking, Tegana rushed forward and killed the man.

When we returned to the way-station, Polo ordered Ping-Cho and Susan to separate their sleeping quarters. Susan refuses to believe it, but I suspect Ping-Cho may have told him about my spare TARDIS key as well because he and Tegana caught me coming out. He now has both keys, and I am still unable to work on repairing the circuit.

We are now held hostage in our tent, but we shall not give up. Chesterton is attempting to cut our way out using a broken plate, and I have a feeling soon Marco Polo will be only too glad to let us go.

Based upon the teleplay by John Lucarotti, first broadcast on BBC 14th March 1964

Five Hundred Eyes

Dear Diary,

That night I slept in the TARDIS as Marco kept the caravan inching along through the brutal cold toward the oasis. I woke the next morning to water droplets falling on my face. At first I was confused, then I saw water dripping down the walls of the inside of the TARDIS. Condensation! The brutal cold outside had combined with the relative warmth inside to form condensation. I called Susan to help me catch the water and we gathered enough for everyone.

Of course, Marco was suspicious at first, thinking either I'd lied and been hoarding the water or had made it by magic. I let Chesterton try to explain condensation to him. Whether the savage could comprehend it, I don't know, but at least he let me alone about it and we made for the oasis where Tegana seemed quite surprised to see us. He claimed a group of twelve bandits had camped there last night and kept him from returning for us. Miss Wright threw doubt on his story, pointing out that there were no signs of a camp or even a fire on such a cold night but Marco was not persuaded. He seems to trust Tegana implicitly.

Marco decided we must leave the next day to avoid these alleged bandits and insisted I hand over the key to the TARDIS. He really can't understand he's dealing with a man of such superior intellect. Of course, I let him have the key. He needn't know I'd made a copy last night in the TARDIS whilst they thought I slept.

We arrived at the way-station of Tun-Huang, which is apparently the home of the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes of Hashishan legend and Ping-Cho elegantly performed a little play re-telling the history of that dreaded cult.

After the performance, Miss Wright unfortunately wandered off on her own and Chesterton and Marco went to look for her.

I snuck back to my TARDIS to do some work. When I was exiting, unfortunately, Susan entered the room with Ping-Cho. I know she is quite fond of Susan, and seemingly a good girl, but her loyalty surely lies with Marco. I worry she may tell him of my extra key, but for now I must trust her.

They came for me, fearing that Miss Wright had gone to the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes. We consulted the wise man Chenchu and set off. The cave is fascinating, the artwork and craftsmanship very impressive indeed. It also made Susan and Ping-Cho very nervous and superstitious, believing some of the eyes were following us. Preposterous! We were ready to leave when Susan spotted Miss Wright's handkerchief.

So, she has been here. But where can she be now?


Based on the teleplay by John Lucarotti, first broadcast on BBC 7th March, 1964

The Singing Sands

Dear Diary,

I shall have to apologise for my delay in writing to you. It has been nine days since my last entry, and a very difficult nine days at that! Even still, my entry today must be cut short due to my overall lack of energy and strength.

This trek across the Gobi Desert has been, as one might guess, quite treacherous. Add to this my displeasure at Marco's plan to bargain away my TARDIS to the Khan, and my mood has been most foul.

On the third night of our journey, I stopped dining with the others in the evening. I simply could not sit there smiling and making conversation whilst Chesterton played chess with the man who is stealing my TARDIS!

On that night Susan and the young girl Ping-Cho wandered off and were caught in a terrific sandstorm. Chesterton described the sound as that of all the devils in Hell laughing at you, and I must agree. They may call them the singing sands, but I would certainly prefer another tune!

Tegana was out about some mysterious business and rescued the girls. I have grave misgivings about the man, but I am grateful for that.

Unfortunately, the next day we found someone had sabotaged our water gourds, destroying all but one.

We hadn't enough water to complete our journey to the Khan, and so Marco followed Chesterton's suggestion and we are now journeying north to the nearest oasis. The first day we travelled 20 miles, then 15, 10, and 8 each day. Today we made it a mere 2 miles before the water gave out.

We are in quite the perilous situation. Tegana has ridden ahead to try to reach the oasis and bring water back to us. I fear we may not make it. In fact, the lack of water and stress finally overtook me and I fainted dead away. Marco was going to put me on one of his wagons, but Miss Wright has persuaded him to allow Susan and myself to ride inside our "flying caravan," providing she and Chesterton say out.

Now I must rest.


Based on the teleplay by John Lucarotti, first broadcast on BBC 29th February 1964

The Roof of the World

Dear Diary,

I say, trouble follows us everywhere! Everywhere!

I suppose I should start at the beginning, lest you think we've been attacked by snowmen or Yeti.

No, Charlton soon explained the giant footprint in the snow was most likely a normal print that had had its edges melted by the snow,

I made to leave them to their explorations and return to the TARDIS to do some work, but upon re-entering, I found all the lights and heat out, and that we'd gone completely out of water. All due to one circuit that's somehow burned to a crisp! It would take me days to fix, and meantime the sun was setting and I feared we might freeze to death.

We decided to descend to a lower elevation to seek shelter when we encountered a lone Mongol. He fled, but we followed him down to the rest of his group. One of their number, the warlord Tegana, a very treacherous fellow, accused us of being evil spirits and commanded the others to kill us, but their leader stepped up to spare us. As Miss Wright guessed, he was none other than Marco Polo, on his way to Shang-Tu in Cathay (or China, as it would later be called). He called on them to lead us down to their camp, where they fed and sheltered us and explained it was the year 1289 and we were presently on the plain of Pamir, an area commonly called The Roof of the World

It had been a treacherous journey, and I fear the altitude and the thin air affected me quite a bit,giving me what these people call "the mountain sickness." I needed rest the next day whilst Polo asked the others to accompany him back to the TARDIS, or as they call it, my flying caravan. They made a sledge and brought it down the pass to the camp.

At first I thought he was being helpful, bringing it here to me so I might repair it. However, due to the silly superstitions of his Mongol compatriots who think me some sort of wizard or evil spirit, and the TARDIS my source of magic, he forbade me to enter it. As he was our host and had been such a help I agreed whilst we accompanied them along the Silk Road.

But now I've learned the real truth. Despite having no conception of its power or workings, he intends to give the TARDIS to Kublai Khan as a gift in hopes that the Khan will release him and allow him to return to his home in Venice. How foolish! As if they could possibly comprehend it or ever discover how to "fly" that caravan! What will Kublai Khan think then, eh?

Still, he persists in his plan. As Miss Wright knows, Marco Polo does return to Venice. But can this be the way?


Based on the teleplay by John Lucarotti, first broadcast on BBC 22nd February 1964

The Brink of Disaster

Dear Diary,

I’m afraid I must admit I’m not terribly proud of the actions I am about to relate to you, but I must write it down. Yes, yes, I must.

As I bent over the console, I was suddenly throttled from behind.

It was Chesterton!

The sleeping draught I’d prepared hadn’t worked, and he’d come for answers. As fate would have it, Miss Wright also entered the console room at that point, and he promptly fainted. I thought at the time he was play-acting, but I suppose it was a combination of the exertion and the drugged tea I’d given him.

I again accused them of trying to commandeer my ship and told them I would henceforth treat them as enemies.

The danger signal then sounded. When I checked, the entire area of the fault locator lit up, meaning the ship was on the point of disintegration. The danger signal began sounding every fifteen seconds.  The column began moving on its own. I felt there had to be some great force threatening us from without. Miss Wright insisted, foolishly, I thought at the time, that the TARDIS was trying to tell us something.

I wouldn’t listen, and sent Susan and Miss Wright away that I might confide in Chesterton that we had only a few minutes left.

A pattern began to emerge: The danger signal sounded every 15 seconds.  A pleasant scene would appear on the scanner and the doors would open. Then a dangerous scene and the doors would close. Finally, the scene expanded to a planet; then a solar system; and ultimately, a blinding flash! The cycle would then repeat.

It finally struck me. In my rush to leave Skaro, I threw the Fast Return switch. The spring in the switch had malfunctioned and we’d traveled too far back in time, to the beginning of this solar system! It was just a minor squeak, and easily repaired once found, but could have been disastrous.

The TARDIS, however, had refused to let itself be destroyed. It destroyed the clocks to focus our attention on time, and then gave it back to us in 15 second increments. There is no other way to describe it. The TARDIS refused to be destroyed and communicated to us as best it could in order to avert tragedy. Perhaps Miss Wright was right. Perhaps I don’t know everything about the TARDIS.

I am very proud of my companions. Susan was so brave. Even Chartow proved himself in the end. Most especially, however, we all owe Miss Wright our lives. She was right all along. It was difficult, but I forced myself to visit her in her quarters and admit so, telling her she’s quite a valuable person on our team. She is a most remarkable woman, and I fear I have seriously underestimated her.

I then set the coordinates as best I could for Earth. It appears we’ve materialised somewhere in the Himalayas. It really is frightfully cold, so I outfitted everyone with cold weather gear. The women went outside first, whilst I spoke with Chartow. Do you know, he selected that old Ulster I got off Gilbert and Sullivan? It suits him, I must admit.

Susan then called to us from the scanner. It appears they’ve discovered a very large footprint in the snow.

Based upon the teleplay by David Whitaker, first broadcast on BBC 15th February 1964

The Edge of Destruction

Dear Diary,

Almost immediately upon leaving Skaro, a large explosion occurred, knocking all the lights out in the TARDIS and knocking me to the floor, causing me to cut my head open and lose consciousness.

I finally woke with Miss Wright attending me and a terrific pain in the back of my neck. Susan fixed me a bandage for my head. The doors to the TARDIS are open, but no one will admit to doing it, insisting they opened themselves, which is preposterous, as if the TARDIS had a will of its own.

Chesterton insists there’s been a power failure, whilst Susan insists something has entered and is hiding, perhaps even inside one of us. I really have tried to be patient with these people, but I have no time for this. Especially Miss Wright’s ridiculous theories. It was obvious to me at the time that the only fault could be outside the ship.

I asked Chesterton to assist me with the fault locator. Susan activated the scanner and immediately felt a pain at the back of her neck much like mine. The scanner showed a pastoral scene outside, the doors opened once more, then the scanner switched to a photo of the planet Quinnis in the Fourth Universe, which Susan and I had recently visited (and rather narrowly escaped with the TARDIS), and then the doors shut once more.

It is obvious these two humans have been tampering with the ship’s memory banks and are trying to confuse me. I accused them of sabotaging the ship, attacking Susan and myself, and tampering with the controls in order to blackmail me into returning them to England.  Miss Wright became indignant, suggesting that I owed them my life for saving me in the Cave of Skulls, and blaming our misadventures on Skaro on my own curiosity about the Dalek city. The nerve!

Before I could adequately respond, a freak event melted all the clocks aboard the ship and even Miss Wright’s wristwatch. Everyone seemed overwrought, so I took this opportunity to take my leave and prepare some tea to calm everyone’s nerves. Miss Wright took hers and stormed away to her quarters.

Susan and Chesterton begged me to apologise to Miss Wright. I did go to her and explain that in our situation we have no time for codes and manners.

I also, of course, had taken the liberty of adding a harmless sedative to their tea, that I might have the time and liberty to investigate what has happened here without their interference. After all, as I told her, one man’s law is another man’s crime.

And now, to examine the console.

 

Based upon the teleplay by David Whitaker, first broadcast on BBC 8th February 1964

The Rescue

Dear Diary,

I cannot fathom the hatred that must exist inside these creatures. The Daleks and Thals could all live peaceably in this city, but the Daleks will not co-exist with any other species. They planned to irradiate their oxygen distributors and poison the entire planet of Skaro, making it suitable for only one lifeform: their own!

Even manacled and shackled to the wall, I desperately sought to halt this senseless, evil killing; even offering them the TARDIS if they would desist. I told them if they gave me back the link, I would help them, explain its secrets and its philosophy of movement, but they would not differ from their path.

As fate would have it, at this time we spied Chatterton on the videoscope as the the Thals entered the city at Level 8. The Daleks commenced their countdown sequence even as the Thals advanced and prevented the Daleks from sealing off Level 9.

Many Thals died in the ensuing chaos, but the Daleks were overpowered. Chatterton and Alydon freed Susan and myself from our bonds and we were able to disable the Daleks’ power source, putting a final end to five hundred years of destruction and to the Daleks!

In retrospect, I fear what may have occurred had they accepted my offer. The thought of these creatures with access to the secrets of space and time are chilling.

The Thals now have access to the Daleks’ technology, most happily for them the ability to make food by synthetic sunlight. My experiments show the soil is not so dead as we had believed, however, and I told Alydon he may yet live to hear birds amongst the trees and life return to the planet.

In many ways I envy the Thals this chance, this challenge of rebuilding a new world. I was once a pioneer amongst my own people, but I fear I am too old for such things. Perhaps I will return one day and live amongst their grandchildren.

We said our goodbyes, and it appears Miss Wright made quite a friend of Ganatus. Chatterton may be a bigger fool than I thought! (Although he did remember to take the fluid link back from the Daleks.

As I told Alydon, I never give advice but, in addition to telling him to avoid using the “compensators,” the Daleks’ term for their metal shells, I told him to always seek the truth. His is here, on Skaro.

Mine is out there. Amongst the stars.

Based upon the teleplay by Terry Nation, first broadcast on BBC 1st February 1964