Monday, 8 July 2024

The Matrix Screen

Drathro's 'Castle'
(The Villagers weeding The Crops don't even 
look up as the L-1 Service Robot trundles past --
perhaps because they cannot SEE it?)

DRATHRO: 
HABITATIONS.

TANDRELL: 
Only Man makes habitations.

DRATHRO: 
ALL LIFE PERISHED IN THE FIRE.
IF MEN NOW LIVE ON THE SURFACE, 
THEY MUST HAVE COME 
FROM MY BIOSPHERE.


TANDRELL: 
How can that 
be possible?

HUMKER: 
It is forbidden.

TANDRELL: 
All Work-units 
obey Your Orders.

DRATHRO: 
SOME MUST HAVE ESCAPED. 
BEEN HELPED TO ESCAPE --
THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

HUMKER: 
Is it important?

DRATHRO: 
THEY'RE OUT OF CONTROL,
OUTSIDE THE PLAN.

TANDRELL: 
They're outlaws.

DRATHRO: 
NOW MY EXISTENCE IS THREATENED.
THEY HAVE DESTROYED 
THE SOURCE OF MY ENERGY.

TAKE MEASURES, CREATE 
A DEFENSIVE SYSYEM, 
IDENTIFY AND DESTROY 
THE TRAITORS.




[Trial room]

Mister Six : 
All this is irrelevant 
and hypothetical.

Mister Black : 
Background Testimony.

Mister Six :
 What possible value does 
The Farmyard, here think 
there is in listening to some 
half-incapacitated robot, and 
a couple of diminutive nit-wits who 
might as well be robots?

INQUISITOR: 
You're allowing Your Disrespect 
to show again, Doctor.

Mister Six : 
I'm sorry, Ma'am..... but 
The Question still stands.

INQUISITOR: 
As prosecutor, The Valeyard has The Right 
to include any evidence he considers 
to be relevant, provided he can
justify its inclusion.

Mister Six : 
But any record relating to persons 
not in My Presence must 
be sheer conjecture.

Mister Black : 
The Accused is clearly ignorant 
of the latest methods of 
surveillance, My Lady.

INQUISITOR: 
This evidence is taken from The Matrix, 
a knowledge-bank fed constantly by 
the experiences of all Time Lords, 
wherever they may be.

Mister Six : 
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, Ma'am. I know that. 
My whole point is, that I'm not.

INQUISITOR: 
Not what?

Mister Six : 
Not part of the scenes being shown 
by The Scrapyard, here. 
.....I'm sorry, Valeyard. 
Force of habit, I apologise.

Mister Black : 
Doctor, the experience 
of Third Parties can also 
be monitored and 
accessed if needed, as
  long as they are within 
the collection range 
of a TARDIS.

Mister Six : 
Oh.... 

But My TARDIS is 
an old model --
....are You telling Me, it's 
been bugged without 
my knowledge?

INQUISITOR: 
"Bugged"?

Mister Black : 
It is a reference apparently 
to the new surveillance 
system, My Lady. 
The expression derives 
from an Earth term.

INQUISITOR: 
I see. I think we are wasting time 
on an unimportant issue. 
Continue The Evidence, Valeyard --

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