Doctor Who: The New Adventures

The Runaway Caterpillar

On Grenwerld:
A door swings open, a life sized caterpillar runs out, another one follows.
Mashri: Belupto! Come back!
Belupto: No! Leave me alone!
Belupto scurries away.
Prafice: Leave him! If he does not return by sundown, then we lose it all. And then he will be no son of mine!
Mashri looks down.
DAVID TENNANT
BILLIE PIPER
DOCTOR WHO
THE RUNAWAY CATERPILLAR
WRITTEN BY ANDREW MASTERS
In the TARDIS:
The Doctor: So, sentient drawings & weird rhino creatures-
Rose: And Absorboblobs.
The Doctor: Absorbolof!
Rose: It's what I said.
The Doctor: No-
They laugh. The TARDIS begins to materialise.
-Ooh!
Rose: Blimey that was quick.
The Doctor: I know...
Rose: What's up?
The Doctor: Nothing, we've just not long left 2012 London.
Rose: Yeah.
The Doctor: Right, shall we step outside?
Rose: Yes, sir!
On Grenwerld:
-An alien forest?
The Doctor: Yeah...
Rose: It's like being in one of them Mario games, giant mushrooms and weird translucent life size bugs and orange specs that glow and float.
The Doctor: Puff spores, don't touch them.
Rose: What on Earth is that?
The Doctor: Ah! That is a Tricesilies!
Mashri runs past them, she's crying.
Rose: Doctor, she's crying. E-excuse me! um, Millepede-thing.
The Doctor: Tricesilies. Basically alien caterpillars.
Rose: Are you alright?
Mashri: My brother, he has ran away.
Rose: Why?
Mashri: He is to give evidence in the court of Arnts against the Beautel Syndicate!
Rose: What did he see?
Mashri: He witnessed the murder of our mother at the hands of Dreycor, the leader of the Beautel Syndicate.
Rose: I see... but why has he gone?
Mashri: He is stressed! He is scared the syndicate might come after us.
Rose: Right, The Doctor & I can help you find him if you want?
Mashri: Oh yes please! Last I heard he was in the Pulup Outland!
Rose: Hang on, how longs he been gone?
Mashri: 4 light cycles.
Rose: Light cycles?
The Doctor: Day and night, there's no sun or moon on this planet so these spores, they're a natural light source.
Rose: Oh.
The Doctor: When they get tired from projecting all of the light energy, they have a nap, that's the night cycle.
Mashri: Every 8 hours.
Rose: Only 8 hours of daylight then.
The Doctor: Time passes differently here, one hour is 30 minutes.
Rose: So 4 hours.
The Doctor: Yes.
Rose: Right.
The Doctor: Rose stay here, I'll go with- sorry your name?
Mashri: Mashri.
The Doctor: Come on.
Mashri & The Doctor run. Prafice appears.
Rose: Hopefully they find him.
Prafice: If not, the Mraktons can have him.
Rose: So you're willing to throw him to the wolves because he's upset?
Prafice: He's a coward!
Rose: Is he though? His mother was murdered by gangster ants and you think he just get over it. He's clearly traumatised!
Prafice: He should be here giving evidence!
Rose: And he will be, just trust The Doctor.
Prafice: How well do you trust this 'Doctor'?
Rose: I trust him with my life. I've known him for like 3 years, I know him, I trust him & I care about him.
Prafice: Sounds like you love him.
Rose: Maybe I do.
She shakes her head.
-Can we just focus on Belupto for now?
In the Pulup Outland:
The Doctor: I'm sorry for your loss.
Mashri: Thank you.
The Doctor: What actually happened?
Mashri: Our mother, Xaxi she was killed by the Beautel Syndicate all because our father borrowed 100 credits for a holiday to the singing slopes of Brag,
The Doctor: I see, and Prafice didn't pay up?
Mashri: No, and Belupto, he witnessed it all, so he is the only one who can give evidence aside from Bratiz, leader of the Beautel Syndicate.
The Doctor: I see.
Belupto sees them.
Belupto: Sister!
Mashri: Brother!
The Doctor: Brilliant! Right, let's get back. Alonsie!
In the house:
Rose: The Doctor will bring him back, but Prafice, please be nice and understanding when he gets back, ok?
Prafice: I understand.
Rose: Your name, it reminds me of my mother's maiden name, Prentice.
Prafice: Your mother's name is Prentice?
Rose: No, Jackie Andrea-Suzette Prentice.
Prafice: That is a long name!
Rose: Tell me about it.
She sees The Doctor.
-Oh! Doctor! The Doctor, he's back!
Prafice: Is my son with them?
Rose: I count three of em, so yeah.
Prafice: Oh!
The Doctor: We've found him!
Mashri: Father, I bring you Belupto, home with us both, where he should be.
Belupto: Father, I have decided that I, Belupto Bancey-Ashrak-Melunie-Swist-Adnyat-Mrok-Lash am going to give evidence against the Beautel Syndicate.
Prafice: Good.
Mashri: But there's something you should know, father, be borrowed money, he's the reason why mother is dead.
Prafice: I did it for us! For our family! So we could have this nice house!
Belupto: But this 'nice' house is now tainted in her plasm!
Mashri: Enough with the lies! Remember that holiday he had with his comrades?
Belupto: Yes? Before mother was killed.
Mashri: That was what he borrowed, no, stole from the Beautel Syndicate.
Belupto: Is this true?
Prafice: I-
Belupto: Is this true?!
Prafice: Yes!
Belupto: Shame on you, father, your no father of ours!
Rose: Hey, hey. I know your dad has made a massive cock up but, he's your dad-
Belupto: And what would you know?!
Rose: I never got to meet my dad, not properly, he died when I was a baby.
Mashri: But what he has done is a disgrace!
Rose: I know, but-
The Doctor: Rose.
Rose: Please, I know things are strange right now, but he's your dad, you only get one, I know that.
The Doctor: Rose, They've made their decision-
Rose: But they can't just leave him here.
Tanti: Or can they? Hello, Prafice.
Rose: Who's she?
Prafice: The woman who I went on that holiday with.
Belupto: Good heavens.
Rose: You were having an affair?! You borrowed money from a mob?! A mob that killed your wife because of your mistakes?! Did you even love her-
Mashri: What?
Belupto: Father, is this true?
Prafice: Yes.
Belupto: Did you ever love our mother?
Prafice looks down.
Mashri: You disgust us.
Mashri & Belupto walk away.
Rose: Scumbag.
Rose walks away.
Prafice: She has no right to talk to me like that!
The Doctor: I think you'll find she does, mate.
The Doctor follows after her.
In the TARDIS:
Rose: How could he do that to her? To his kids?
The Doctor: Some people are just plain stupid.
Rose: Yeah, remember when we went back to the day my dad died?
The Doctor: Yeah.
Rose: Mum mentioned a woman who he had had some kind of mishap that put him in a compromising position that made him look like he cheated on her, do you think he definitely cheated on mum? Or did it get taken out of context.
The Doctor: Pete was a good man, he loved Jackie, he loved you most importantly, he'd never go there, and most importantly he'd never put you or Jackie through that.
Rose: Yeah.
They hug.

THE DOCTOR - DAVID TENNANT
ROSE TYLER - BILLIE PIPER