Blakes 7, Terminal: Blake & Avon Script Fragments

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Blakes 7
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Death-Watch

Terminal

Rescue

The crew are disturbed because Avon has locked them off the bridge and they have no idea where they're going. Avon refuses to tell them anything. He's following some directions and has a time limit to reach wherever it is he's taking them. A cloud of unknown composition stands in the way and the crew, now able to talk to Avon, tells him to go around it, but Avon refuses. The delay that would cause would be too long, though he still won't tell the crew why. Tarrant pushes and gets a gun in the gut for his trouble. When they finally reach Avon's goal, it turns out to be the planet Terminal. Avon informs them that they are not to follow him down, but to leave if he doesn't call in at a given time.

This is Avon at his confusing best. And there's no Blake on board to understand his meaning rather than his words. Yes, Avon would kill even his friends to find Blake, but he would give up any chance of his own to be rescued to save them. Menance and self-sacrifice - all at the same time. Avon teleports down, followed soon, of course, by his curious and disobedient crewmates.

Avon follows a direction finder to a glass building and enters. He's attacked and, when he wakes up, finds Blake attached to life support. This is what he's been after all this year. He's now found Blake. But Blake says he can't be disconnected and that Avon has to wait, but he says he'll tell Avon about a treasure. Here we have another confusion. Blake would know what makes Avon run, and it's not treasure, much as he loves gold. But this Blake acts as if that would be Avon's prime motivation. They've been apart a year now. Can it be that Blake seriously doesn't remember how to manipulate Avon? He would never have used that ploy when they were on the ship together. Giving Avon his trust was much more in Blake's style of manipulation. But if Blake talks treasure, Avon is perfectly willing to play his part in their charades.

Avon leaves, but is captured and brought before Servalan. She explains that she wants Liberator and he wants Blake. She suggests a trade. Avon refuses. Here again we have a conflict between Avon being willing to kill the crew if they stop him from reaching Blake, and being willing to sacrifice Blake to save them. But that may be calculation of long term self-interest for himself and Blake, since he has a better chance to get away with people free to come after them, as he knows they've done before.

But those calculations come to nothing when Tarrant and Dayna arrive. Avon still won't give up Vila and the ship, their only hope of escape, but Tarrant does. Avon is furious. But Tarrant had an ulterior motive that Avon doesn't know - the ship is being destroyed from the cloud Avon flew it through, and Zen is already dead. Now that Servalan has the ship, she tells Avon that she's tricked him. She knew that he would come here to find Blake, so she gave him a dream in which he talked to Blake. But Blake died and she saw him cremated. As she speaks, you watch Avon's face. He's completely destroyed. Servalan transports up and Vila transports down with his "sculpture", Orac. One more for Vila! Servalan takes off and the ship blows up, Servalan transporting out just before the breakup.


Tarrant:	So tell us where we're going. Tell us why.
Avon:	No.
Tarrant:	And we're just meant to sit by quietly and let you do it. Whatever it is.
Avon:	That's exactly what you're meant to do. You and the others owe me.
Tarrant:	Do we?
Avon:	Now I'm calling in the debt. With or without your approval it is going to be done.
Tarrant:	How do we approve of something we don't know about?
Avon:	You could try trusting me.
Tarrant:	Alright, Avon, we'll try trusting you. Just don't expect us to make a habit of it.
Avon:	I don't.
.	...

Zen:	The consensus of computer systems favor a course deviation to avoid contact. In this environment, it is prudent to treat any unexplained phenomenon as potentially dangerous.
Vila:	Isn't that what I just said. With a brain like mine, who needs computers.
Avon:	Zen, maintain present course, no deviation. Status 1, subcategory Q. No countermand.
Zen:	Confirmed.
Tarrant:	That is it, Avon, I've had it. Either you tell us what it's all about or we're going to stop it.
Avon:	No, you're not. Nothing and nobody is going to stop it, you least of all. Now get out of my way, and stay out of my way.
.	[everyone looks at the gun Avon has jammed into Tarrant's waist]
Cally:	You were lucky. He meant it. He was going to kill you.
Tarrant:	I got that impression, myself.
.	...

Avon:	Alright, now listen. I don't know what to expect, or how long this will take me. I'll call in every hour, on the hour, but if I miss one transmission, get out of here.
Cally:	What? You mean leave you on Terminal? Abandon you?
Avon:	That's exactly what I mean. Keep the ship on full alert. At the slightest hint of danger, the same thing applies - move out fast.
Tarrant:	Oh, come on, Avon. Look, we've been through a lot together. We've always been at risk. We've always taken chances. But we survived because we worked as a team. So what is it you have to do that makes this so different.
Avon:	This happens to be my problem. None of you are involved.
Dayna:	But we are involved. However much you like to pretend you're a loner, you're not, really. We depend on each other. I wouldn't be alive now if not for you, and I'm sure that's true of everybody else. So why not trust us?
Vila:	Look, you don't have to give reasons. You don't even have to explain. Whatever it is, we'll back you up.
Cally:	Oh, if you want one of your own cold, rational explanations, we can't afford to lose you.
Avon:	Sentiment breeds weakness. Let it get ahold of you, and you are dead. I have already programmed Zen. In precisely 12 hrs the ship will set course for Calipheron. You can't override it. After that, it will come back under your command. Go where you want, but stay away from Terminal.
Tarrant:	You seem to have thought of everything.
Avon:	I have also recorded a full explanation of everything that I'm doing. Zen will not issue it until you are in flight. It's very detailed. The only thing missing is the end. Operate, will you Dayna? One last thing. I don't need any of you. I needed the Liberator to bring me here, so I had no choice but to bring you along. But this is as far as you go. I don't want you with me. I don't want you following me. Understand this, anyone who does follow me, I'll kill them. Alright, Dayna.
.	[Dayna teleports him down]
Avon:	Down and safe. And if this is an example of a manmade planet, they ought to get back to the drawing board and start again. I'll contact you again in exactly 1 hr. Out.
Tarrant:	Shift the coordinates by half a point. I don't want to land too close to him.
Vila:	I got the distinct impression that he wanted to be alone.
Tarrant:	We can't always have what we want, Vila.
Vila:	I had noticed.
Cally:	I'll come with you.
Tarrant:	Fine. Let's get kitted up.
Vila:	Avon isn't gonna like this.
Dayna:	Avon isn't going to know about it.
.	...

.	[Avon enters a room and finds a teleport bracelet. He turns on a console and a picture of Blake appears. He reads, "The patient's condition continues to improve. Life support systems were closed down for 10 mins extra today bringing the total to 3 hrs. During this time Blake showed no apparent signs of distress. All prescribed medications administered." Avon looks up at Blake's picture.]
Avon:	So he is alive. Blake is alive.
.	[Avon goes out and is rendered unconscious by a dart. He awakens and goes looking for Blake.]
.	...

.	[Cally and Tarrant follow Avon into a glass building. They drop the key that got them in and it echoes down the ladder.]
Cally:	I hope you hadn't planned on going back up again.
Tarrant:	Not immediately. [prophetically] From here on, it's downhill all the way.
.	...

.	[Avon finds Blake attached to life support equipment, asleep on a table.]
Avon:	Blake.
Blake:	Well, now, you certainly took your time finding me.
Avon:	There didn't seem to be any hurry. Anyway, I always said I could manage very well without you.
Blake:	Must have been so dull, having no one to argue with.
Avon:	Well, now, there were times when your simple-minded certainties might have been refreshing.
Blake:	Careful, Avon. Your sentiment is showing.
Avon:	That's your imagination. Now, are you going to tell me about this discovery that's going to make us rich, and invincible?
Blake:	I'll take you to it.
Avon:	You mean after I get you out of the mess you got yourself into? Just like old times.
Blake:	Not that easy this time. The lightning raid to snatch me from the jaws of death isn't on, I'm afraid. Taken off this life-support system, I wouldn't survive for more than 3 or 4 hrs.
Avon:	We'll have the whole thing duplicated on the Liberator.
Blake:	No good. I wouldn't survive the teleport transfer. They calculate it will take at least 3 mos before I can start to move again. [beeps] That's a treatment timer. They'll be here in a few minutes. They'll find you.

Avon:	It seems unlikely you'll be moving far. [Avon moves to the end of the table and looks back at Blake.] I know where to find you. I'll be back.
.	[Avon is captured and knocked out. He awakens on a table under a microphone, then falls asleep again.]
Medical:	It is completed. Get him out of there quickly. We must get the continuity right.
.	...

Servalan:	You haven't seemed surprised to see me.
Avon:	If it was a trap, it had to be yours. The precise timing, the meticulous detail, the general flare. Who else could it be?
Servalan:	Thank you. That you of all people should appreciate my work, is very flattering.
Avon:	I thought it might be.
Servalan:	I must admit that when I started beaming messages to the Liberator, I was worried you might not believe them.
Avon:	I didn't.
Servalan:	What convinced you?
Avon:	When you transmitted the recording of Blake's voice. Zen did a print analysis and confirmed that the voice could be genuine. On the strength of that I had to follow it up.
Servalan:	I never doubted you would. What about the others? Were they convinced?
Avon:	I told them nothing about it.
Servalan:	You were afraid they might not want to help you find Blake.
Avon:	On the contrary, I was sure that they would. But they can get a little over-enthusiastic, a little careless.
Servalan:	So rather than let them walk into what might be a trap, you decided to do it all on your own. How very noble of you.
Avon:	I thought so.
Servalan:	Of course, it had nothing to do with not wanting to share Blake's mysterious discovery.
Avon:	[laughing] Nothing at all.
Servalan:	Well, let me reassure you, you haven't been entirely misled. Blake is alive and, if not well, at least on the road to recovery. More important, he's my prisoner. Naturally, I wouldn't expect you to take my word for it, so you may see him and talk to him.
Avon:	I already have.
Servalan:	What?
Avon:	Your security is not very efficient.
Servalan:	You were supposed to be held in close custody.
Avon:	It's not very important. Let's get down to terms. I want Blake's freedom. What do you want?

Servalan:	[Opening a window from which they could see Liberator] That! A straight exchange. You get Blake and whatever it is he's discovered, and I get the Liberator.
.	...

Servalan:	All details of Blake's treatment have been programmed into the computers. There's ample supplies of all of the drugs and medicines he'll require. In approximately 3 mos he should be well enough to move. The space vessel that I used to come here will be at your disposal. It's rather old-fashioned, slow, but it will take you where you want to go.
Avon:	Are you sure you've covered everything?
Servalan:	I don't think there's anything I've missed. There's a light-beam voice link directed at the Liberator. You'll contact the ship. Tarrant, Cally and Dayna will teleport to this location. Vila will stay on board to operate the teleport to bring me up. You have my word that he will be teleported down to you immediately I have control. It's a very reasonable contract, Avon. You have your lives, Blake, and transportation out of here.
Avon:	And you have the best ship in space.
Servalan:	The pattern for a fleet.
Avon:	You really think you can duplicate the Liberator?
Servalan:	I've assembled a team of scientists who are sure they can. In fact, they've staked their lives on it. And with a fleet like that, I can unite and rule as nobody has ruled before.
Avon:	What if the crew won't obey me?
Servalan:	Oh, I don't think that's likely. I have Blake. I have you. Call the ship. I was right. I was sure you'd never let Blake die.

Avon:	Death is something he and I faced on a number of occasions. I always thought that his death and mine would be linked in some way. Liberator, this is Avon. Do you read?
Vila:	Avon, where are you?
Avon:	No questions. Just do as I tell you, and do it immediately. Take the Liberator out of here, maximum speed. Go and keep going.
Servalan:	No!
Avon:	It's important, Vila. Do it now.
Servalan:	You fool. You fool.
Vila:	Avon. Avon.

.	[Servalan holds a gun on Avon and aims]
Medical:	Servalan. [brings in Cally and Tarrant]
Servalan:	I think negotiations have just been reopened.
.	...

.	[Tarrant makes the deal for the Liberator, which is so damaged by the particular cloud they went through that its disintegration is beyond its capacity for auto repair, though Avon and Servalan don't know that.]
Avon:	What about Blake?
Servalan:	Ah, yes, Blake. I owe him so much. After all, it was he who brought you to me.
Avon:	We made a deal. You promised me Blake.
Servalan:	Blake is dead. He died from his wounds on the planet Jevron more than a year ago. I saw his body. I saw it cremated. Blake is dead.
Avon:	I saw him. I spoke to him.
Servalan:	You saw nothing, heard nothing. It was an illusion, a drug-induced and electronic dream. We spent months preparing it. We recreated Blake inside our computers - voice, images, memories, a million fragmented facts. When I was ready, I started sending you the messages, seeding the idea in your mind. I was conditioning you, and you were my greatest ally, Avon. You made it easy because you wanted to believe it. You wanted to believe that Blake was still alive.
.	[Avon moves toward Servalan]
Tarrant:	Leave it go, Avon.
.	...

BLAKES 7 EPISODE DVDs
The Blakes 7 episodes are available in PAL DVDs through Amazon.com UK. For people in the US, these DVDs will play on your computer, but NOT on your TV. The only safe way to play them on your computer is in an external DVD player devoted ONLY to PAL DVDs. When you put a DVD into a DVD drive, it's able to tell whether the DVD is PAL or NTSC (US standard) and play the DVD correctly. But it will ONLY SWITCH BACK AND FORTH something like 7 times. After that, it stays on whatever was played in it last. So if you only have a single DVD player, you could get it stuck being ONLY able to play PAL DVDs. But you're safe if you attach an extra DVD player to your computer and use it exclusively for PAL DVDs.