As everyone knows, there is a station based in London whose job it is to monitor domestic telephone calls and report any suspicious conversations to the police. Being such an enormous task, the operatives use computers to scan every telephone call for certain “key words”: cannabis, murder, Downing Street, etc. However, what not everyone knows is that our old friends UNIT also use this station, listening for their own specific key words. It is one of the government’s biggest secrets as to why they employ a three man team to listen to housewives up and down the country discussing what “the doctor” gave them for their assorted aches and pains . . .
And Ace remembered, remembered . . .
Transcript Follows: Key Words - “The Doctor”; “Ace” 13:43
First Woman: ‘He’s gone. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. He was well wicked. He could do anything he wanted, made me feel like I could do anything I wanted, too. He showed me the universe, and he made the darkness go away. He was everything. Everybody loved him - well, everyone worth being loved by. And now he’s gone.’
Second Woman: ‘Poor love.’
First Woman: ‘He saved me, you know. More times than I saved him. Showed me where I was going wrong, showed me where I was going. He turned me around, all the way around.’
Second Woman: ‘And dragged you down.’
First Woman: ‘No. No.’
Second Woman: ‘If it wasn’t for him -
First Woman: ‘If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have Wolsey.’
Second Woman: ‘Wolsey! Of all the names.’
First Woman: ‘He’s part of me now. Maybe if I could do it again I wouldn’t want him so young, but I’d still want him. He’s the best thing about all of this. You get that, don’t you?’
Second Woman: ‘I’m sorry. It’s just . . . I worry. I can’t help it.’
First Woman: ‘I worry too. Enough for both of us.’
And Ace remembered golden yellow fur, tacky with blood, glass flying through the air. She remembered . . .
I want to say this right. I want to say this so that you understand it, and I don’t want us to start shouting again. I couldn’t handle it. Not now. I . . . I’ve been living with someone. Someone amazing. No-one you know. He . . . no, that’s not good enough. We . . . oh God. He died. He’s gone. And I’m alone. No, not alone, I’m . . . I’ve got Wolsey. You’d like him, really. But all he does it eat and play and I just can’t any more. He’s gone. He’s left a hole inside me and he’s gone, he’s gone . . .
No, let me say this. Please, just let me say this.
They took the . . . I can’t live where we lived any more. I can’t get any of my things. Most of them were his things any way. They’ve given me a flat, but I can’t live there. Not now. Too much happened to me. I can’t go back. I don’t know where I’m going too. I want you to have the flat – it’ll be better than where you are now. You’re in the same place, yeah? I’ve put the key in the post. I hope you like it. I . . .
No, there’s something else.
And Ace remembered blood pooling on the floor, dark reflections dancing on its surface. She remembered wide mouthed faces, pale and . . . and . . . Ace remembered . . .
Transcript Follows: 13:41
First Woman: ‘He had a . . . a disease. He fought it as long as he could. No-one was stronger than him. No-one. But he couldn’t beat it. It killed him in the end.’
Second Woman: ‘I’m sorry.’
First Woman: ‘I’ve got the same disease.’
(There is 6.41 seconds silence on the line. Conversation continues.)
Second Woman: ‘Have you got somewhere to go? You know you can always come here.’
And Ace remembered the Doctor, the beast that was the Doctor arching through the glass, sending it raining through the air, stinging her face, her arms. She remembered the beast as it snarled and tore its way to its prey. She remembered that this had once been the Doctor, her Doctor, the oncoming storm, the bringer of darkness, trapped in his own shadow. And she remembered feeling the beast in her flex, yearning to be free.
“Here’s the key. I want you to have it. It’s no good to me. I can’t come back there. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I need to know who I am first. But I’ll keep in touch. Really. Love, Dorothy”
Transcript Follows: 13:39
(Telephone rings. Is answered after 17.2 seconds.)
Second Woman: ‘Hello?’
First Woman: ‘Hello? Mum? It’s me.’
Second Woman: ‘Dorothy? Sorry, Ace.’
First Woman: ‘That’s okay. Dorothy’s fine.’
Second Woman: ‘Oh Dorry . . .’
(Second Woman cries for 14.6 seconds. Voice obscured by emotion.)
And Ace remembered.
Transcript Ends.