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Deep Blue is the second episode of the third Common Series.

Synopsis[]

"It's smart, it's vicious... and it's big!" - Cpt. Seamus Tersa

A rapidly growing heat signature under Antartica has been found a team of underwater explorers have gone to investigate the source. The Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves on board and they soon find that there is something deep within the vast, cold and dark waters of the Southern Ocean and it is not friendly.

Plot[]

A shot of the ocean within the sunset is accompanied by a voiceover from a male, slightly robotic voice:

"The ocean. The surrounding water that encircles all our continents and kigdoms. It goes without saying that this huge mass of water is truly the dominant power on this small, almost insignificant planet. It holds almost as much mystery in its murky depths as the stars above in our own galaxy do. And with mystery - comes great danger and great... evil."

Antartica 2086. A large station within the tundra contains a team of explorers who are busy making last-minute checks on their ship, Pegasus before finally going into the water. The TARDIS materialises at a corner and the Doctor, Amy and Rory exit to see what is happening. The Doctor licks his finger and puts up in the air. Surprisingly, he accurately guesses the exact date and location they are in. A man, Aemos, asks who they are as he has not seen them before. The Doctor tricks Aemos by masquerading as government officials sent by 'the government to accompany the explorers on their... trip'. Aemos believes it, due to psychic paper and escorts them inside.

The ship's interior is cramped and claustrophobic, which is ironic as to the scale of the ship's exterior. All machinery in the ship, take up most of the ship and so conditions are tight. Amy sees a robot being mistreated by some of the crew. She goes over to him and asks if 'he' is alright. The robot actually displays an empathic personality, showing such emotions as gratitude and exaserbation. The Doctor notes that his model is from the late 21st century, and that robotics went so far (mostly in Japan) that such droids were given personality and individuality. The robot introduces himself as 'Filmore' and although he is possibly the most expensive thing on the expedition, and with his expertise in aquatics and marine biology, the most needed - most of the crew still see him as a worthless droid. Amy displays great sympathy for him and tells him that humans are not always like that. Filmore darkly responds with, "Aren't they?"

The ship's captain, Seamus Tersa welcomes the 'government type' to the Pegasus and briefs him, Amy and Rory on what the expidition entails. A heat signature of unknown nature has appeared underneath the frozen continent and they have been assigned to go and investigate and stop it from doing some damage to the ice caps - as they had just finished fixing global warming three years ago, recreating the ice caps to their needed capacity. They say that they sent pods and drones and cameras down there but they've either cut off before they reach it or something seems to interfere with transmission. Their last resort is to send a team down there to personally see what is going on.

The ship is then sealed shut and they depart into the depths of the Southern Ocean. Seamus notes that it will take about six hours before they reach the source. As Filmore is alone checking on the engines, a shadow passes from the window and a low, whispering voice says his name. The droid darts his head back but sees nothing except the infinte blue of the ocean'd depths. He shrugs it off and goes back to work. As he turns back, the shadow returns and the glint of a huge eye is seen briefly.

The Doctor is looking at the data gathered about the heat signature and the tapes of the drones going down before they were destroyed. He suddenly sees a large shape appear right before the tape cuts off. He rewinds it back and pauses it when he sees the rough shape of this shadow. Seamus enhanced the image as best they could. They see a much clearer outline of the creature - a huge whale-like creature with large jaws. Seamus asks the Doctor if he has ever seen a creature like it before. The Doctor mentions that he hasn't but fears it is more than likely still down there and they should head back to the surface. Seamus says they are unable to as the controls are automated and cannot be overrided - they must wait until they reach the source.

As the Pegasus descends, the shadow slowly seems to follow. Filmore is walking through a corridor and then hears the same voice again. He looks out the window and sees the faint shape of the creature. It may be very far away, but the voice was crystal clear to the droid.

The creature begins to speak to Filmore about how the droid is unfulfilled and that the humans gave him his 'soul' but they mistreat him, like a common appliance and the creature tells him that he 'could be much more'. The broken and hollow droid listens as the shadowy monster poisons his mind and makes him believe that to prove himself 'better than a simple robot', he must kill everyone on board. The persuasiveness of the creature convinces Filmore.

Filmore marches to the closest biological signature on his sensors, the sick bay. Miss Joy, the nurse, pleasantly asks what Filmore is after, but the droid remains silent for a moment. Suddenly, to the horror of the patients, Filmore strangles her to death. He proceeds to fill the entire sick bay with a poison gas, by opening the tubes of nitrous oxide, sealing them inside to choke. He proceeds to the weapons room, and augments himself with several peices of equipment, including a blaster and a large blade. Filmore begins slaughtering the crew and the soldiers on board.

Everyone in the control panel see the murders Filmore is commiting. Aemos venomously spouts how robots were destined to be enemies, if humans give them the mindset. Seamus tells him that Filmore is a 'pacifist model' and only someone with great skill in circuitry could rewrite his morality. The Doctor then tells them that Filmore was given independant thought - a mind and soul basically. Anyone with a persuasive tounge can push anyone to doing something they would not normally. Amy believes the creature may have something to do with this. Aemos remains skeptical, saying that the creature is obviously a stupid animal. Rory then mentions that the heat signature may be a living thing as well.

A loud banging at the door is heard. Filmore yells to let him in. Seamus tells everyone that the door is 'reinforced duramite', and could withstand a lava flow. Filmore begins to slowly type in the code to override the locking system. The Doctor tries to calm Filmore down, but the droid does not listen and that he must show himself as better by killing them. The Doctor tells him that he fails to see how that could prove anything. The creature then speaks to them all, and reassures the Doctor that Filmore will succeed in killing them as it will stop them from reaching their destination. The Doctor asks the creature what it is. The creature replied with only one word - 'Leviathan'.

The Leviathan tells them that they must not reach the heat signature for it is where its young is resting. Hibernating and growing for years, waiting to hatch and after so long, evolved to live in both land and sea - becoming the dominant species. The Doctor asks how Filmore will benefit. The Leviathan tells him that Filmore's actions will save its spawn and earn him a place as a respected individual within the new society, for humans gave him no meaning or purpose other than to serve. Seamus retorted by stating he always tried to make Filmore welcome. Filmore said he did nothing to prevent abuse from the others - like Aemos. The computer tells them that they will reach the spawn in less than 10 minutes. Filmore is near completing the lock override. The Doctor then speaks to Filmore, telling him that because he has questioned his place and felt his need for purpose - that makes him human enough. Filmore finds the label 'like human' repugnant and proceeds to open the door. However, the Doctor tells him that humanity has its downs but they created him and gave him his personality not out of need for work, but to give Filmore a life like they have, embracing his power and letting him find his own way. Filmore finally realises that he has done wrong and opens the door but does not attack. He regrets what he has done and tells them that because he will not kill them from the inside, like the Leviathan wanted, the sadistic monster will take matters into its own hands.

With that, the ship is being attacked by the Leviathan, angered that Filmore, a non-human, would allow himself to befriend 'the earth-poisoners'. Filmore then launches himself into the air lock, out into the ocean. He comfronts the Leviathan, revealed to be this huge blue beast and uses his blaster on it and while shooting, charges towards it and shoots straight through it. The dying creature roars and tells them that his race evolved beyond the sea before, and that 'he is only of the sea', and his 'kin' will avenge him. The Leviathan then drifts away, dead, into the murky depths.

They all finally reach the spawn and see that they are slowly about to hatch at any moment. Filmore, deducing that the ship will not be able to destroy the spawn in time, without letting at least five more Leviathans hatch, places his body into auto-destruct and sets the coordinates to the heat signature. As he does he removes a container in his chest and throws it back at the ship, which brings it inside. The 'soulless' body of Filmore flies out and soon vapouries every last egg. The Pegasus ventures out, now they had reached their destination. Amy asks what the container is, and the Doctor replies in awe that it is Filmore's whole memory bank - his hopes, dreams, personality and everything conserved. The Doctor laughs that he did something so human - saved his own hide in the end.

Back at the station, the Doctor, Amy and Rory get back into the TARDIS, and Amy tells the Doctor that they want to go somewhere without water for a while. The Doctor agrees and mentions somewhere in the 'Ganymede Nebula', that makes 'Florida look like the surface of the Moon'.

Cast[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Armin Shimerman once gave his voice to another story dealing with morality in the setting of an underwater station, in the video game BioShock.
  • Working titles for the episode were At the Bottom or Into the Blue.
  • In Abrahamic mythology, the Leviathan was the gatekeeper of the underworld and one of its seven princes - seen as a terrible sea serpent. The word 'Leviathan' is now used to describe huge sea monsters.
  • The Leviathan tells the Doctor in its dying breath that he [the Leviathan], is 'only of the sea' and its 'kin will avenge him'. This could be an allusion to how the Leviathan was part of a trio of monsters, each with one specified environment. The Behemoth, was a land monster and the Ziz was an air monster. They could possibly feature in future episodes.
  • Filmore's look resembles that of the costume of the Marvel Comics superhero, Iron Man.
  • Apparently, the ice caps were reformed in 2083, and the time when global warming was considered a great threat (2001-2080) was referred to as 'The Turbulent Era'.

See Also[]

Common Series 3
War Lord of the Sand  • Deep Blue  • Mister Sandman  • Strange Fruits  • Succession of Witches  • The Only Bad Monk  • I Am...  • Rebirth of the Cybermen  • Hearts of Darkness  • Episode 10  • Kudlak Lane  • Paradox  • Event 3

Specials

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