E-Space is a Swamp

 

 

MONITOR:

From this point, the unravelling will spread out

until The Whole Universe is reduced to nothing.

 

The MASTER:

….so it's True.

 

(The Master walks away.)

 

MONITOR:

Yes, Doctor, You were right -- 

Our Numbers were holding

The Fabric of The Universe together.

 

NYSSA: 

But how? 

Surely in a closed system

like The Universe, entropy is

bound to increase?

 

MONITOR:

Certainly. The Universe long ago passed

The Point of TOTAL collapse.

 

Tom : 

….PASSED The Point?!

 

MONITOR:

….if it had remained closed.

But we had the means

to postpone The Time.

 

MASTER:

So that's why you adapted

The Pharos Project.

 

MONITOR:

Yes. We opened The System by creating

voids into other universes.

 

ADRIC:

Charged Vacuum Emboitments!

 

Tom: 

We passed through one of your voids, Monitor.

 

MONITOR: 

It all depended on our continued endeavours.

A temporary solution while the advanced research unit

worked on a more permanent plan.

But nothing will come of that now.

Our labours wasted.

The voids will be closing.

 

 

Tom : 

I take it you don't get many strangers here.

 

IVO: 

Strangers?

 

Tom : 

Yes, visitors. Foreign devils. 

You know, people you don't know.

 

IVO: 

Everyone here is known.

 

ROMANA: 

Well, what about people from 

The Next Village, or The Nearest Town?

 

IVO: 

There is only The Village and 

The Tower, nowhere else.

 

DOCTOR: 

Who lives in this Tower of your?

 

IVO: 

Why do you ask what everyone must know? 

Are you sent to test me? 

I am Ivo, Head Man of This Village 

like My Father before me 

and His Father before him. 

The Lords know I'm loyal.

 

DOCTOR: 

Please, don't shout. 

Splendid, I'm sure -- 

So you serve The Lords, but 

what do The Lords do for you?

 

IVO: 

They protect us from The Wasting.

 

 

DOCTOR: 

Surely you realise something here must be wrong?

 

ZARGO: 

Wrong?

 

Tom : 

Yes.

 

CAMILLA: 

What is, is.

 

Tom : 

No. What is, is wrong. 

Look, societies develop in varying ways. 

Yours just seems to be sinking back

into some sort of Primitivism,

wouldn't you say so?

 

ROMANA: 

Oh, yes — In terms of applied socioenergetics, 

it's losing its grip on level two development.

 

DOCTOR: 

On level two?

 

ROMANA: 

A Society that evolve backwards 

must be subject to some even MORE 

powerful force restraining it.

 

Tom: 

An even more powerful force?

 

ZARGO: 

How very mysterious.

 

Tom: 

Well, mysterious or not, those rebels seem 

to think The Power emanates from you.

 

CAMILLA: 

They flatter us.

 

ZARGO:

In any Society there is bound

to be a division between 

The Rulers and The Ruled.

 

Tom: 

A Division? 

Yawning chasm, I'd say. Wouldn't you?

 

ROMANA: 

No, I'd say a sociopathetic abscess.

 

Tom: 

Oh, I wish I'd thought of that. 

That's a good diagnosis. 

Yes, I've never seen such a State of Decay.