Main content

Cleo learns the truth about who Apex Costa really is. Episode four of the audio drama series, set in the worlds of Doctor Who.

By Karissa Hamilton-Bannis

Cleo learns that Apex isn’t all he claims to be. And he’s in debt to the powerful Lady Honour Bray. Has Apex been using Cleo all this time? Meanwhile Abby and Shawna follow the trail of a thief who’s been stealing dangerous alien artefacts.

Cleo Proctor - Charlie Craggs
Abby McPhail - Lois Chimimba
Shawna Thompson - Holly Quin-Ankrah
Apex Costa - Freddy Carter
Honour Bray - Dervla Kirwan
Mr Singh - Irvine Iqbal
Receptionist - Denica Fairman

Directed by Bethany Weimers
Producer: James Goss
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Sound design by Thea Cochrane
Original Composition by David Devereux

A 鶹Լ Studios Production for 鶹Լ Sounds

#DoctorWhoRedacted

New episodes released Mondays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series of Doctor Who: Redacted first on 鶹Լ Sounds: bbc.in/42Ge0T0

Release date:

Available now

28 minutes

2.4 – SPACEMAN

2.4 – SPACEMAN

by Karissa Hamilton-Baines


FX: 鶹Լ Sounds Sting

ANNO Doctor Who: Redacted, Episode Four. Spaceman by Karissa Hamilton-Baines.

SCENE 4.1 – EXT. LONDON UNDERGROUND

[ REPRISE ]

HONOUR: …He’s a thief. Not just any ordinary thief either. A master thief of rare artworks and antiquities... and he’s promised to steal me a TARDIS.

FX – a scuffle. Honour cries out.

APEX (EFFORT) I’ll take that. HONOUR Stop! Drone, kill him!

APEX Cleo, I’ve got the serum, hold on to me.

CLEO What? Why?...

FX: He grabs her.

CLEO Hey!

HONOUR Don’t you dare!

FX: Sounds of a teleporter as Apex gets them out of there.


SCENE 4.2 – INT. APEX’S SHIP

FX: Sounds of a teleporter, then silence. We’re in a cavernous space, save for the subtle whirr of machinery.

CLEO What was that? Where are we? What just happened? How...?

Why…? Have we teleported? Did I just teleport? What the hell?!

APEX Yes, sorry I couldn’t give you more of a warning. I had to get the serum off her…

FX – we hear a hiss as he administers the anti-trion serum.

APEX There. That ought to kick in right away. [BEAT] Cleo? Are you OK?

CLEO I am so not OK. [BEAT] Who are you, really?

APEX My name is Apex Costa. Most of what I’ve told you is the truth.

CLEO Er most? She said you was a thief! You’ve spent all day lying to me and now you’ve transported me to god knows where and I’m starting to realise I’ve only known you for a day and I’m about to become a true crime podcast!

(Beat) Hold on.

FX: Cleo walks around, her shoes echo on the metal floor.

CLEO This is a… Am I on a..?

APEX You’re in my ship… ICBA Model 9 Class 756. CLEO Catchy name.

APEX I didn’t get to name it.


CLEO Do these, window grate things, do they open? APEX You bet they do.

FX: He presses a button and there’s a creaky but loud whirr as the spectacle of space is revealed to Cleo.

CLEO OH. MY. GOD. (WONDER) I’m in space. Actual space. I am in SPACE. This is insane. I’m literally hovering above the Earth. I need to sit down, my legs feel weird.

She takes it in.

CLEO It’s [BEAT] beautiful. It’s almost like we haven’t completely ruined it.

APEX (SOFT) Everything is beautiful out here.

CLEO You lied to me. [BEAT] I can’t believe I fell for a nice smile. APEX You think I have a nice smile?

CLEO Enough! No more flirting!

APEX Am I flirting?

CLEO So help me, god. Tell me the truth right now or I swear I’ll put my size nines right through that window and blast us both into space.


SCENE 4.3 – INT/EXT. APEX MONTAGE

FX: We hear music, but unlike the intro previously (Ep 2.2) this is more Oceans 11.

APEX Welcome to the life of an ICBA reject. I wasn’t lying about my father and my father’s father. I was expected to wake up every morning and go to the same tedious civil service job they do every day, do the same thing over and over and over until eventually I turn to dust. I said no thanks to that mess and went my own way.

FX: Sounds of glasses clinking, people mingling.

APEX I wanted the high life, but that life isn’t cheap. Especially when your prissy, miserable family cut you off for skipping out on the family business. So, I had to make money, I tried gambling…

FX: Sounds of a crowd, people betting.

COMMENTATOR ….And in the red corner Bildermerge the Magnificent up against Hostile 17, favourite to win and Bildermerge comes in with the flobule attack.

FX: A glutinous sound and a yelp. We hear the crowd’s disappointment.

COMMENTATOR That’s all folks! Bildermerge the Magnificent wins. Hope no one bet on the other guy.

APEX Wasn’t so great at that. So I tried trading Omega Credits but for some reason every 100 credits I spent I only got 95 back.

CLEO Sounds like someone got into Bitcoin.


APEX No, no Omega Credits is imaginary money. CLEO Right, completely different.

APEX I was a failure. A broke failure.

CLEO What about all those alien refugees? Did you lie about saving them.

APEX No. I didn’t lie about that. My family are experts in Rare Life Forms. And I used my knowledge to find them and relocate them to the Underground on this ship. I’m not a total slime.

CLEO So you relocated them for free?

APEX Er well…

CLEO Right.

APEX Just covering expenses. I swear.

CLEO Sure. And so you gave the landlord a captive market where she could drive the rents sky high, right?

APEX Cleo…

CLEO Oh. My. God. You’re a people trafficker.


SCENE 4.4 –EXT. SINGH’S CASH AND CARRY

FX Sounds of traffic as Abby and Shawna walk through the streets.

CLEO VOICEMAIL Hi, this is Cleo, don’t leave me a message, it’s 2023. ABBY She’s still not picking up. I’ll just text her (muttering) we’re at

Singh’s Cash and Carry. Call… me… when… you… get…this.

SHAWNA Why do you do that?

ABBY So Cleo knows where we are…

SHAWNA I’m telling you, she’s ghosting us. She’s miffed about the convention.

ABBY Anyway. Done. Shall we get started?

FX Abby starts recording the podcast.

SHAWNA Hey there Blue Boxers, we’re recording this Blue Box File on location. The Glamorous….

ABBY Mr Singh’s Cash And Carry on Oxford Street. SHAWNA Oxford Street, Glasgow.

ABBY Because, earlier tonight we found Torchwood. The biggest depository of Alien Stuff in existence.

SHANWA And it’s been cleared out. There’s a thief looking for alien

artefacts – and we wondered if Torchwood are the only victims in the area.

ABBY So. A few months ago Rani Chandra did an episode on her podcast –

SHAWNA Competition is healthy. We lift each other up. Shine theory.

ABBY Rani did an episode about the Alien Black Market. And one of the places she mentioned was Mr Singh’s.

SHAWNA So, have they had a recent break in? Turns out, yesterday.

Taped to the window – A Reward Offered poster with a terrible screengrab from CCTV. Is that our thief?

ABBY We’re going to find out.


SCENE 4.5 INT. CASH AND CARRY.

FX: Doors swoosh open. SOFT MUSAK – CHECKOUT BEEP. They walk through the aisles.

SHAWNA Maybe we’ve got the wrong address. It’s just rows and rows of cat food.

FX: Picking something up.

SHAWNA This one says Aroma of Mushroom. What does that even mean? Do cats eat mushrooms?

ABBY Yes, let’s give up before we’ve actually had a proper look. If someone is dealing in alien goods here, do you think they’d put out a sign? We’ll go row by row systematically until we find some sort of clue. There has to be something here.

SHAWNA Or we can just ask someone. Excuse me sir?

FX: As a shop worker pushes a trolley past.

ABBY Shawna!

SHAWNA (CALLING OUT) Excuse me! Can I speak to someone about the robbery?

She holds out her phone.

SHOP WORKER Seafood is on aisle six miss.

SHAWNA (CONFUSED) No I’m asking about the break-in you’ve had. SHOP WORKER Seafood is on aisle six miss. Excuse me.


FX: The shop worker distressed, pushes the trolley on.

SHAWNA Did that make any sense to you?

ABBY It was a code. What we’re looking for is on aisle six. SHAWNA What does seafood have to do with it?

FX: They walk over to aisle six. The other customers that were there before have all gone. Abby and Shawna are alone. In fact the space seems bigger now. There’s a slight echo to Abby and Shawna’s voices.

ABBY The energy just changed in here. SHAWNA Yeah, it’s all got a bit Ghost Hunters. ABBY This is aisle six.

SHAWNA (freaked out) All of a sudden, I really don’t want to go down there.

ABBY (also freaked out) I thought it was just me.

SHAWNA (unconvincingly) Seriously what’s the big whoop, it’s just another aisle of cat food… wait cat food again?

ABBY It’s the same aisle as the entrance.

SHAWNA Can’t be.

ABBY Do you have to disagree with everything I say.

SHAWNA I’m not disagreeing I’m just expressing disbelief. Not everything is ominous. It’s the dishwasher all over again.


FX: They start walking down the spooky aisle.

ABBY You can’t just put things anywhere you want in there. They have the sections and compartments for a reason.

SHAWNA It all gets washed at the same time anyway!

ABBY Okay once again, if you put plastic stuff at the bottom of the dishwasher the heat causes chemicals to come from it that are harmful. You might not notice it now but if you suddenly get cancer cause you couldn’t be bothered to lift your arm ten centimetres…

FX: Shawna’s not listening. While Abby’s holding forth, there’s a soft buzzing sound far away.

SHAWNA (INTERRUPTING) Do you see that…? There was a guy standing there, he reached up to grab a tin of cat food and then he just vanished.

ABBY What man? There’s no one there.


SCENE 4.6 – INT. APEX’S SHIP

CLEO Apex, you grabbed a load of alien refugees, charged them a fortune to lug them through space on this crate then dumped them into the hands of a slum landlord.

APEX Put it like that it sounds bad.

CLEO How would you put it?

APEX I needed funds to get the ship. That’s how I came across Honour. She loaned me the money, offered to help, seemed really interested in the set-up of the London Underground-

CLEO - and muscled in, took it over, and milked it for all it was worth.

APEX I thought I was doing good. And, you know, settling my debts.

But it turned out the refugees couldn’t make the rent and I’d signed a bit of paper saying I was technically responsible-

CLEO Technically.

APEX Honour’s a collector. So, in order to clear my debts to her…. I told her that I could get her a TARDIS.

CLEO Why would she believe you?

APEX I had an advantage. Remember my family? Who I’m a great disappointment to? They look after Rare Species – but they specialise in Time Lords. I figured how hard could it be? The Time Lords wouldn’t miss a TARDIS.

CLEO Wait. The Doctor’s the Last of the Time Lords.


APEX Yeah. That’s a problem. I didn’t realise the Time Lords had all gone. I tried offering her something else-

CLEO But when she realised there was only one TARDIS left, she only wanted it more. You idiot.

APEX Yeahhhh.

CLEO All this time, you were using me, hoping the Doctor would show up.

APEX It’s not like that.

CLEO Do you even – like [me], you know what– of course you don’t.

APEX What?

CLEO Never mind. Nothing.

APEX I’m really sorry I dragged you into this. But I am glad I met you, Cleo. Really. As in. I do like you.

CLEO Fine. (DECIDES) How are we going to clear up your mess? APEX We?

CLEO We. If we go back to Earth, Honour’s drones will find us… APEX and kill us yeah.

CLEO So how do we stop her?

APEX We’ve only really got two options really.


CLEO Well what’s the first?

APEX We run. Together. Anywhere. We’ve got the whole universe to play with.

Cleo chuckles, she starts laughing.

APEX What’s so funny?

CLEO Last year those words were all I wanted to hear. APEX So let’s go!

CLEO Massive adventures in space and time. But the Doctor didn’t ask me.

APEX The Doctor’s loss. You’re smart, you’re funny, you can handle yourself in a fight. Let’s just go.

CLEO [SARCASM] Yeah, sure thing, let’s chart strange new worlds.

APEX I’m not joking. The ICBA Model 9 Class 756 has seen better days but I’m pretty sure she’ll limp us to a service station.

CLEO Please, can we give it a better name?

APEX What would you name it?

CLEO The…Lily Savage

APEX Does that mean you’re coming with me?.


FX: Cleo walks over to the window.

CLEO Earth looks so quiet from up here. It’s my home.

APEX Is it? Fly away with me. What do you have to stay for, really?


SCENE 4.7 – INT. SINGHS’ CASH & CARRY – THE WEIRD AISLE

FX: Footsteps as Abby and Shawna walk up and down the aisle.

SHAWNA I’m serious. I saw a man, reaching for a tin of cat food and then pooft… gone.

ABBY Where did you see him?

SHAWNA Round about here. [BEAT] And was he reaching up like thi…

FX: Shawna is suddenly cut off.

ABBY Shawna? (urgently) Where did you go? Shawna!

Silence… Shawna has disappeared.


SCENE 4.8 – INT. APEX’S SHIP

Cleo and Apex still on the spaceship. Apex working away with instruments. Bloop!

APEX There. Mended your phone.

CLEO (TAKING IT) Ok, thank you?

APEX You seemed lost without it. Your friends will be worried.

We have good reception in orbit.

CLEO OK, this is purely hypothetical. If we did a runner at Warp Factor 10. Where are we going first?

APEX A pal of mine runs a table on the edge of a black hole, he can read minds, but he’s never met someone from Sol 3, bet we could win some major coin.

CLEO Now you sound super sketch… again.

APEX Got it. No gambling.

CLEO This is nuts. Hold on.

FX She opens camera on her phone.

APEX What are you doing?


CLEO Taking a selfie on a spaceship. Smile. Not like that. APEX (FORCED GRIN) Like this?

CLEO Better.

APEX (STILL GURNING) What’s a selfie?

FX Shutter Click. Tap tap.

CLEO Well, my friend, the purpose is twofold. One: Abby and Shawna are gonna be jealous and two, it’s a way to make sure I don’t come to any harm in your presence. Trans dating 101.

APEX Wow. OK. That’s, that’s bleak.

CLEO Babe you have no idea. Oh my god I have four bars, I never have four bars. Abby and Shawna are gonna lose their minds…

FX Woop – message send.

APEX We can’t go back.

CLEO Not ever?

APEX That’s the point of running away.

CLEO (ALMOST TO HERSELF)

Running away is not going to fix anything.

APEX It’ll keep us alive.


CLEO For how long? They’ll still be there when you get back and even if you never go back, they’re still there. There was a time when running away was all I wanted to do. It still is a bit.

That’s why it’s bloody killing me to say this but… We can’t run. Yeah, home sucks a lot of the time but it’s mine. So many good things happened there. Abby and Shawna, Jordan … The Doctor. I’m even getting on with my mum again. I know what it’s like to be alone and to lose the people you love.

APEX If I stay, Honour will find me.

CLEO My mum had a guy threaten to break her legs over a debt once. So, she did their accounting for free until the debt was paid. There’s a solution to everything.

APEX Sounds like your mum just joined a gang.

CLEO Uh… Well she still faced her problems head on. I’m not gonna run away because some TERFy drama teacher can’t see past her own prejudice or cause every guy I date is a cretin or a creep. I’m not letting life just happen to me. Ever again.

APEX Is this still about me?

CLEO …Mostly? You need to go deal with Honour. What was option number two?

APEX Option Two is we get Honour a TARDIS.


SCENE 4.9 – INT. OUTSIDE SINGH’S OFFICE

FX: With a yelp Shawna appears in a long corridor. A woman sits at a desk nearby typing.

SHAWNA (CRIES OUT)

RECEPTIONIST Hello. Can I help you? SHAWNA What is this place?

RECEPTIONIST Do you have an appointment? SHAWNA An –

RECEPTIONIST An appointment. To see Mr Singh. SHAWNA Yes. Yes I do. I’m here about your break in. RECEPTIONIST You must be from the podcast?

SHAWNA Yeah, how did you…? RECEPTIONSIT Ms Chandra?

SHAWNA Ah, yeah, that’s right. I’m Rani Chandra.

FX Keyboard taps. Lanyard handed over.

RECEPTIONIST Please take a seat. Mr Singh will be with you shortly.

FX: There’s a shout as if coming from a tunnel and Abby too appears.


ABBY (YELP)

SHAWNA Abby!

ABBY Shawna?! Thank god! You disappeared. I was so scared. RECEPTIONIST Please take a seat…

SHAWNA (IN) Mr Singh will be with us shortly. Got it.

FX: Abby and Shawna sit. The receptionist keeps typing.

SHAWNA What just happened?

ABBY I think that aisle must have been some sort of portal.

SHAWNA This is definitely the type of place that would have alien artefacts go missing.

FX: Shawna’s phone pings. She checks it.

SHAWNA And now Cleo texts us back. Look at this.

ABBY Wait. Is she with a guy? Wait. Is she in space? I have so many questions. So many not jealous questions.

SHAWNA Well. We’re in - an interdimensional office. Can I make that look cool?

FX Phone shuffling

RECEPTIONIST No pictures please. However, Mr Singh is happy to do an

interview for your podcast.

ABBY He is? That’s great.

RECEPTIONIST Yes. He’s a big fan of the famous Rani Chandra. ABBY What?

SHAWNA (HISSES) Just go with it. RECEPTIONIST Mr Singh will see you now.


SCENE 4.10 – INT. APEX’S SHIP

Cleo and Apex are on the ship.

APEX If we give Honour the TARDIS, she won’t be after us anymore.

CLEO Well, you aren’t getting that, so move on.

APEX I can’t! The people in the Underground. There’s people there

…people I care about, and they’ll get hurt. She will hurt them.

CLEO Oh now you care? I thought this was about your Daddy Issues?

APEX It can’t be more than one thing? Where I come from we ignore, people in need, people in trouble. They’re statistics.

We collate their information, and we move on. Their suffering is a digit in a quantum isotopic computer system. I couldn’t sit back and just watch and collect data. People were dying, they were hungry and, with Honour’s money, I had the resources to help them.

Cleo’s starting to suspect something.

CLEO You really care about those refugees.

APEX (SULLEN) Little bit. (SMILES) You’re right – running way isn’t going to solve anything.

CLEO OK [CONSIDERS].

You’re Robin Hood.

APEX The sexy fox?


Cleo laughs, charmed, in spite of herself.

CLEO

And you pretended not to get my pop culture references.

APEX

I still don’t know who Gareth Gates is.

CLEO

We’re not giving Honour the TARDIS. But I could try and call the Doctor again. Maybe there’s another solution?

APEX

You’d do that?

CLEO

You’re trying to help people, right?

APEX

If you call the Doctor, maybe we can get Honour off our back.

CLEO

We’ll need all the help we can get. I need my friends.


SCENE 4.11 - INT. SINGH’S OFFICE

Abby and Shawna are led into an office. There’s the gentle sound of a fish tank and what could be gentle Deep Forest style music underlying the scene.

MR SINGH Please. Sit, sit.

ABBY Mr Singh? We’re here…

MR SINGH Because of my robbery. I know… SHAWNA We haven’t found your thief, not yet, but…

MR SINGH But you’re here to help me! Ladies, I have been an avid listener of your podcast since it started. Never missed an episode. Now, which one of you is Rani Chandra?

ABBY (THROWN) Uh.

SHAWNA Neither of us are Rani.

ABBY But she sent us! She’s a very busy woman, obviously. SHAWNA Making all that sponcon. Collecting all those awards. ABBY We are producers on the show. We collect interviews when

Rani is busy. B Roll, that kind of stuff.

MR SINGH But this is very important. The Earth is in a lot of danger. A shame she could not come herself. But I was very pleased to feature in her leading podcast and am even happier that her assistants-

ABBY & SHAWNA (REACT)


MR SINGH - are helping me to clear up my robbery. I knew she’d cover it.

That’s what the historical records show.

SHAWNA Sorry?

MR SINGH We will come to that. Shall we get started?

Abby starts recording.

ABBY We’re now here with Mr Singh, of Singh’s Cash & Carry, who, it seems, was expecting us. So Mr. Singh…

SHAWNA First question…

MR SINGH How did you get here? The Cash and Carry in Glasgow is just one portal to my retail dimension.

ABBY Retail-

MR SINGH Real estate prices are only going to get worse. The door is concealed behind an image of an ordinary aisle. This is to stop normal customers from accidently wandering in. You can only get here if you’re trying to get here. To the foremost emporium of alien goods on the black market.

ABBY Are you -

MR SINGH An alien? I’m as human as they come. ABBY But you seem to know a lot about alien stuff

MR SINGH Artefacts. I’m not from your time. I come from an Earth thousands of years in the future. It’s a nice little earner: stuff from now is worth a mint in the future, and stuff from then is very helpful for a certain type of person now. You get me? My shop is a place for those people, to come… and sell me their goods for a fair price.

ABBY You’re a pawnbroker?

MR SINGH I sell them their items back for a slightly higher… but equally fair price. It’s a service. I’ve kept the London Underground going –

SHAWNA The…

MR SINGH You’ll find out. SHAWNA Oh.

MR SINGH The problem is the thief has cleaned me out. Everything gone.

Bad for business. Very dangerous. It’s why you are here. ABBY If you’re from the future, why can’t you just find the thief?

MR SINGH To be honest only a few records of your time are left. Most got [MUMBLES] destroyed.

SHAWNA What? When?

MR SINGH No need to worry about it, love, you’ll be long dead before any of that happens.

SHAWNA WHAT?!

MR SINGH In happier news, you are here! Because I know you will find the thief for me.

ABBY You do?


MR SINGH The details are hazy, but you will. This thief has got to be stopped. It’s not just me, you see. Everyone I know has been raided. Some really dangerous artefacts have been stolen.

Enough to start an interstellar war.

SHAWNA But how do we stop them?

MR SINGH I can’t tell you that. But I can say that you will break hearts.

The interview is over, Ms Thompson, Ms McPhail.

SHAWNA (SURPRISED HE KNOWS THEIR NAMES) Wait-what?

MR SINGH You’ll be needing the door on the left. It’s the London exit. ABBY The London exit? What? How?

MR SINGH Make things right with your friend. She needs you.

ABBY Before we go have you got a better print out of that CCTV image? The face is just a blur.

MR SINGH Primitive technology. I have since cleaned it up a little. Here. I think it will tell you all you need to know.

FX He slides a photo along the desk.

ABBY Shawna – look at this. The Thief…

SHAWNA Oh my god.


SCENE 4.12 – EXT. CLEO’S FLAT

FX: Sounds of a teleporter as Cleo and Apex arrive outside Cleo’s flat.

APEX Here we are.

CLEO 鶹Լ Sweet 鶹Լ. ABBY/SHAWNA [FROM AFAR] Cleo!?

FX: Abby and Shawna running up.

CLEO Abby? Shawna? Did you get my DM? Where’ve you been? SHAWNA (RUNNING UP) Long story – oh.

APEX Hi… I’m Apex Costa. You must be Abby and Shawna. Big fan of the podcast.

CLEO So glad you’re here. The Blue Box Files is about to go intergalactic.

SHAWNA Listen- [there’s something you should know] APEX We really need your help.

CLEO Absolutely. Come inside! Imma need a brew before we unpack all this. I have had the longest day and did I mention I’ve been to space?

SHAWNA But-


ABBY Tea sounds nice.


SCENE 4.13- INT. CLEO’S FLAT

FX: Cleo is in the kitchen. Boiling kettle. Abby and Shawna and Apex are all together.

CLEO (CALLING THROUGH) Find a bit of sofa with no pants on it and sit down. I won’t be a second.

FX: Abby, Shawna and Apex sit.

SHAWNA So. Apex.

APEX Yes.

SHAWNA You’re an alien?

APEX Yes.

SHAWNA Been on Earth long? APEX I come and go.

ABBY Been to Scotland?

APEX “Scot-land”?

ABBY Recently? Like last night.

APEX Er.

SHAWNA (LOW) We. Know. Who. You. Are. APEX Listen-


FX Cleo comes in with tea.

CLEO Here we go. I’ve checked and the oat milk hasn’t gone off while I’ve been in space. There I am again. Space!

SHAWNA Cheers.

ABBY There’s something you have to know-

CLEO We need your help. Apex is on the run from a mad woman called Honour Bray.

ABBY Listen, Cleo. We’ve been on the trail of this thief who steals alien stuff.

CLEO Amazing. So. Apex and I have a plan.

APEX (WEAK) Wait…

ABBY Cleo we need to show you something.

APEX Honour could be on her way now. We need to call the Doctor first. There’s a lot of lives on the line.

CLEO Ok. But I don’t how long it will take for them to come. The Doctor’s not exactly a Chatty Cathy on texts.

APEX They have to come now!

SHAWNA Cleo. We need to show you a picture of the thief. CLEO No. Apex is right. I’ll call the Doctor.


ABBY Before you do that, the picture-

CLEO (ENOUGH) Guys. Please.

FX: Apex stands

APEX Look. You need to catch up. And I need to get gone. Like, now.

CLEO What about me?

APEX Can you get the Doctor here, now? Yes or no? CLEO I don’t know. No.

APEX Then I have no choice. I’ve got to go. The refugees and you are more important than me, Cleo. Bye.

CLEO Wait!

FX: He teleports out.

SHAWNA OK, what the actual hell was that? Did he just Star Trek out of here?

ABBY Shawna…! Cleo, are you OK?

CLEO [LIES] Yeah. I’m fine. Um, he just…he’ll be back in a bit. (TO HERSELF) We agreed we’d sort it together. (BRIGHT) I think you guys chased him off.

ABBY (BREAKING IT GENTLY) The thing is. The thief. Who has been raiding alien stuff. We have a photo of him.


CLEO I’ve got to phone the Doctor. We need to save Apex.

SHAWNA Here’s the photo.

FX Shawna slides the photo over. Cleo is fiddling with her phone.

CLEO Whatever. Saving Apex here. SHAWNA (LOSING IT) The thief is Apex!

A very significant pause.

ABBY Cleo...

CLEO What? No! It can’t be him.

ABBY How much do you actually know about him? CLEO (INDIGNANT) It’s not him. Just a bit like him. SHAWNA Cleo! Come on…

CLEO Well…OK. But look, it’s not what you think. He’s not who you think. He’s a sexy fox.

ABBY I beg your pardon? SHAWNA You knew he’s a thief?

CLEO (TRIGGERED) You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Sure, Apex has an open-relationship with the truth, but you’re forgetting he’s helping a bunch of alien refugees.


SHAWNA So he has lied to you?

CLEO For good reasons. It’s complicated, okay? ABBY He’s dangerous.

SHAWNA No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave. He’s a crook, babe.

CLEO This is so typical. I am being gaslit again. ABBY What?

CLEO It happens all the time! Hello! The rats! You two telling me what to think. There must be a reason for all this. Apex is chaotic good, okay? I know him.

SHAWNA Do you?

CLEO Yes! I finally have someone who likes me for me and you’re both immediately calling him dangerous. If he was so evil, why did he ask me to run away with him after knowing me for a day?

SHAWNA Red flag much?

CLEO Where were you two when I wanted to investigate the rats?

The only person who helped me was Apex.

ABBY Okay I’m sorry, it just didn’t seem believable.

CLEO Exactly, cause I’m here for the lolz you don’t take me seriously.


SHAWNA We take you as seriously as you take yourself.

Gasps all round.

ABBY Shawna… that’s not helping.

SHAWNA She’s defending some guy she met a day ago over her best friends. We get it, you’re lonely, he’s cute, and it’s scrambled your head.

CLEO Lonely? Maybe that’s because my best friends have been ignoring me for months!

ABBY Shawna, Cleo! Stop it!

CLEO Wow OK. [BEAT] I’m gonna take my desperate, needy butt out for a walk. You can see yourselves out.

FX Cleo storms out, slamming the door.


SCENE 4.14 – EXT. STREET

FX: Front door slams as CLEO exits, very upset.

CLEO I can’t believe she said that…

APEX Hi.

CLEO Apex!

APEX Cleo, are you crying? Are you okay?

CLEO Oh my god. No, I’m fine. What are you doing? You left. APEX I couldn’t.

CLEO But…but Abby and Shawna said…

APEX What did they say?

CLEO You know exactly what they said.

APEX I’m a thief. Yeah. Everything I’ve done, I did for the people in London Underground. You’ve been there. You know they need supplies. That’s what I was doing.

CLEO Every single instinct in me is telling me to get as far away from you as possible, but…

APEX I couldn’t walk away from you either.


CLEO No more running?

APEX You feel this right?

CLEO I feel…this is very awkward.

APEX No. No more jokes, just be real.

CLEO [PAUSE] But real is scary.

APEX I’m OK with that. Can I..?

Apex kisses her.

CLEO Kissing in the moonlight, how cheesy.

APEX Yeah, but er…

He kisses her again.

The music builds into a gleefully Whovian, alien symphony of synths and electric keyboard that cuts off into piano that continues under the rest of the credits.

END CREDITS Doctor Who: Redacted. Episode Four. Spaceman by Karissa Hamilton-Baines. Starring Charlie Craggs as Cleo Proctor, Lois Chimimba Abby Mcphail, Holly Quin-Ankrah Shawna Thompson, Freddy Carter Apex Costa, Dervla Kirwan Honour Bray, Irvine Iqbal as Mr Singh and Denica Fairman as receptionist. Directed by Bethany Weimers, Producer James Goss, Sound design by Thea Cochrane, Original Composition by David Devereux. A 鶹Լ Studios Production for 鶹Լ Sounds.

Podcast