The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 6 Episode 5: The Future Tale Part 1

Police are investigating the wreckage of a damn explosion in London and discover the ruins of a military base. One of them picks up a key from the ground. When he touches it he is granted a vision of the future.

Police Officer: I am so sorry, Sarah Jane, but we’ve discovered the body. Your friend is dead. I’m so sorry.

The Police Officer panics. Back at Bannerman Road. On the television:

News Reporter: Police are investigating the ruins of a former Military base near Bannerman Road today after it was destroyed by the wreckage of a damn. Reports suggest that these events could be directly related to the actions of Sarah Jane Smith, who we discovered yesterday investigates alien activity inside of her attic in 13 Bannerman Road.

Rani: Are we gonna get in trouble for that?

Sarah Jane: Probably, but I’ll deal with it.

Sarah Jane receives a phone call. She picks it up.

Sarah Jane: Hello? Ah, hello! It’d be good to catch up, especially with everything that’s happened. Oh-We’ll be right there.

Clyde: What is it now?

Sarah Jane: It’s Celeste Rivers. She’s discovered something at the base.

Sarah’s car arrives at the ruins of the Military base. She gets out and shakes Celeste’s hand.

Celeste: Sarah Jane Smith-It has been way too long! You have met my assistant Toby Silverman before, haven’t you?

Sarah Jane: Yes I did. Nice to see you both again.

Toby: Very nice to see you too. Hopefully there’s no haunted houses this time.

Clyde: There’s always something like that, Toby, you should have learnt that by now.

Celeste: We’ve discovered something in the wreckage of the Military base and we need you to check it out. It’s a key. When he touched it, he had the vision of telling you that one of your friends had been killed.

Sarah Jane: What? Did it say which friend?

Celeste: No, but I touched it and it gave me a vision towards the future too. It showed me at the scene of some kind of car crash.

Sarah Jane: A car crash? Has Toby touched it?

Celeste: No, but we could give it a try. Toby, would you mind?

Toby touches the key. He witnesses a vision. He is also at the scene of a car crash. Sarah Jane and Celeste are both sad.

Toby: Oh my god I saw something.

Sarah Jane: What? What did you see?

Toby: I was also at the scene of the car crash. I was there, and you and Celeste were both crying. You looked upset.

Celeste: So me and Toby survive, and so do you, Sarah.

Shanda: You’re telling me that one of us will die today?

Sarah Jane: I promise you. None of you will die today.

Celeste: I haven’t even gotten to know you two yet. Do you fancy a coffee?

Inside of a nearby coffee house.

Shanda: Is this really the time to be drinking coffee?

Clyde: I’m not complaining. Celeste is paying. Thanks Celeste.

Celeste: No problem. I’d like to get to know the two of you that I don’t know yet, before one of you loses your life.

Rani: It might not be one of us. It could be someone we’re yet to meet. It could happen years in the future.

Celeste: It was definitely today. We were all here, with the same clothes on, it was the same weather. It looked like today.

Sky: That could be a coincidence?

Sarah Jane: We can’t count on coincidences. Where did this happen?

Celeste: It was in a road. Your house I believe.

Rani: Well we know the solution. We need to stay away from 13 Bannerman Road.

Sarah Jane: That’s not how the future works. It is intent on happening. If you try to stop it from taking the course you know it’s going along, it’ll form a new one and get you there anyway. There’s no way to escape from fate.

Celeste: Let’s not dwell on death for the moment. Who are your new friends?

Sarah Jane: These are my adoptive daughters, Shanda and Sky.

Celeste: Nice to meet you both. I see your involvement with aliens has been leaked.

Sarah Jane: Yes. My secret is out.

Celeste: I’m sorry to hear that. I know how tightly kept you have been keeping your secrets all these years.

Shanda: Maybe we should find out more about our fates now.

Sarah Jane: Yes, I think we should all hold the key, just to see whether we can find out any more details. We need to know as much as possible.

Celeste passes Sarah the key. Sarah touches it. She is in the road. Rani screams at her to get out of the way of an incoming far going at a fast pace. The vision ends.

Sky: What did you see?

Sarah Jane: Rani was there. I couldn’t see Celeste or Toby but Rani was there. I was in the road and Rani shouted for me to get out of the way. A car was coming at a fast pace.

Celeste: What did the car look like?

Sarah Jane: It was my car. It was my car.

Celeste: Your car? Someone must have stolen it?

Rani: I think we’ve found out who’s going to die today. I must take you away from the road and I must die. Can I have the key?

Rani holds the Key. She sees a vision of lying on the floor. She drops it.

Sarah Jane: Rani, what did you see?

Rani: I-I-I-I-

Celeste: Please tell us whatever you saw. We need to know everything so we stand a chance of stopping the future before it becomes the present.

Rani: I saw myself lying on the floor, dead.

Toby: Oh my god.

Clyde: No-That can’t be-You can’t die-I won’t let you.

Rani: If it’s fate, then it’ll come. I guess I’ll just have to wait for a little while.

Sarah Jane: I can’t lose you. I won’t let you go.

Rani: I just need to say my goodbyes. If this is what happens then I need to say my bit to everyone around me that I love.

Sarah Jane: Of course. This must be hard.

Celeste: I’d advise that everyone should touch the object first of all. We need to know as much information as possible. Clyde?

Clyde: I don’t think I can. I don’t want to see what happens to Rani.

Celeste: We need all the information that I can get.

Clyde: I don’t want to. I don’t want to see myself lose her.

Celeste: Please Clyde can you do this for me.

Sarah Jane: Just let him be, Celeste. He doesn’t want to see it and I don’t blame him. This is a very distressing time for all of us and we’re struggling to come to terms with it all.

Rani: I need to see my mum and dad, please.

Sarah Jane: They’re in Bannerman Road, and I can’t let you go there.

Rani: But I need to see them.

Sarah Jane: I can’t let you go to Bannerman Road. I cannot let you take that risk.

Rani: If you come with me, then I will be protected. Anyways, I’d rather get this over and done with rather than wait around all day for it to happen.

Sarah Jane: Okay, let’s head back to Bannerman Road.

At Bannerman Road, Rani knocks on her house door. Haresh answers. Rani gives Haresh a hug. He smiles.

Haresh: What’s got into you today?

Rani: Nothing, I just want to make the most of it, that’s all.

Gita walks towards the doorway. Rani hugs her too.

Haresh: There’s something wrong with her today.

Gita: Are you alright, sweetheart?

Rani: Yeah, it’s just I wanted to say how much I love you. I love you both so, so much and if anything happens to any of us I will miss you.

Gita: Alright. Nothing’s going to happen to us anytime soon.

Rani: We can’t be sure of that, Mum.

Sarah Jane and Clyde enter the attic

Clyde: Why did you leave the others at the Military base again?

Sarah Jane: The future cannot become true. In the vision that I had, Celeste and Toby were there. I know I said the future will find a way of happening but there is the potential that we could make them stay there so the version of the future we see does not happen. It probably will but we’ve got to try.

Clyde: Will Rani die today?

Sarah Jane: I don’t know. She wants to spend some time with her parents first, but I’m sure she’ll want to speak to you within time.

Clyde: Was I in the vision that you saw?

Sarah Jane: No. You must be here or somewhere. I don’t know. You refused to touch the key so there’s no way of telling until it happens. We just have to wait for a few minutes.

Clyde: And what about Mr Smith? Can you prepare him?

Sarah Jane: He’s been through enough lately. I think it’s about time he took a break.

Celeste, Toby, Sky and Shanda are still at the Military base.

Shanda: I’d like to touch the Key, just to see whether we get to know anything more. I know Sarah, Clyde and Rani went back to the house but we could still do something about this. I don’t know Rani very well and if she survives today, she’ll be gone soon anyway, but she means a lot to Sarah Jane so I want to help.

Celeste: Of course. But just be careful.

Shanda touches the Key. She is greeted by a hooded man. She drops the key.

Shanda: No-It can’t be-It isn’t-I refuse to believe it-

Sky: What is it, Shanda? What is wrong?

Shanda runs away.

Toby: That key does some strange things to people. I’d advise you not to touch it.

Sky: We don’t usually stick by the rules.

Celeste: No! I am not letting you touch the key. I think we have all the information that we need. It’s not worth giving people trauma.

Sky: Should I go and speak to Shanda?

Celeste: No, leave her for the moment. She’ll come back soon.

There is a knock at 13 Bannerman Road. Sarah answers it. A young man is at the door.

Donald: Hello, is this 13 Bannerman Road? I heard all about the alien hunting stuff and I really wanted some help with a problem.

Sarah Jane: Of course. What is your name?

Donald: My name is Donald.

Clyde: That is not a name you hear enough nowadays.

Donald: I’m twenty two years old and I have a slight problem I need you to sort out. There’s this alien that’s been chasing me and I need you to help me.

Sarah Jane: You’re just in luck, aliens are our speciality.

Inside of the attic

Donald: I don’t know what it is, or what it wants, but I need to escape from it. This creature has been there, haunting me, off and on for years. I’ve seen it in my dreams. I’ve watched it kill my friends. It is not of this Earth and I don’t want to be haunted by it anymore. I need you to help me stop it.

Sarah Jane: Where did you last see this creature?

Donald: I was at my house in Clapham and there it was, trying to kill me, trying to follow me, trying to haunt me. I don’t know why it was doing what it was, but it wants something from me. I need you to stop it.

Sarah Jane: We will. What does it look like?

Donald: It’s tall. Horrid looking. Not humanoid. It’s like a spirit, with a face filled with grimace. It is not a pleasant sight to behold but it floats like an angel.

Clyde: Do you think that it followed you here?

Donald: I really don’t know but it could have done. It could be outside right now.

Sarah Jane: I’ve got a lot on my plate already today but I’ll try my best to help you. I’ll make sure that whatever this thing goes away.

Donald: Oh it better go away. Otherwise there will be consequences.

Across the Road, Rani is drinking from a cup of tea.

Haresh: You’re quiet today. Have you been doing anything with Sarah Jane?

Gita: It must be different now that everyone knows about it. It was on the news. I mean before this people only knew her as a Journalist and now look at her: Sarah the Alien hunter.

Rani: She won’t like that, and it’s Sarah Jane.

Gita: Oh, potato, potato. Can we be of any help like last time?

Rani: Just keep me away from it. Make sure I don’t leave the house at any time.

Sky has gone to speak to Shanda. Celeste picks up the key and watches the vision again. She drops the key when Shanda and Sky return.

Celeste: Are you alright now? What was wrong?

Shanda: Oh I’m just getting upset over nothing. Really, I get emotional like that sometimes and it’s frankly quite pathetic. Where’s the other guy?

Celeste: Toby? He’s sorting out supplies. We’ve ended our investigation.

Sky: Is there any news on Sarah Jane? She said she’d text you with updates.

Celeste: I haven’t heard anything. We just have to sit here and wait.

Inside of the attic

Sarah Jane: So tell us more about this creature, Donald.

Donald: I don’t know how much more I can tell. What I do know is that it always carries something with it. Some kind of key.

Sarah Jane: A key? What kind of key?

Donald: A key that allows you to look towards the future.

Clyde: I was wondering when these two things were going to link up.

Donald: You know of this machine?

Sarah Jane: Yes, actually. It was discovered under the wreckage of a nearby military base. We all looked through it and it granted us a vision of a past which is awful even to think about. It prophesied that our friend, Rani, will die today.

Donald: The key. Where is it now?

Sarah Jane: It is by the Military base still, with my friend Celeste.

Donald grabs a gun out of his pocket. Clyde raises his hand.

Clyde: Please don’t hurt us!

Donald: I need you to do what I say. If I have the key then I can summon the creature here. It seems like it has some kind of connection with it. If it wants me then it can come here, and once we have lured it here, we can kill it using your technology. You are going to phone your friend Celeste and you are going to tell her to deliver the key to me and if she doesn’t then the two of you will die. Actually, pass me your phone.

Sarah Jane: What do you need my phone for?

Donald: Just pass me the phone!

Sarah passes him the phone. He dials Celeste’s number.

Donald: Hello, Celeste, I need you to deliver the key to 13 Bannerman Road. I am holding two of your friends captive and if you do not give it to me within the next 30 minutes then I shall take their lives. Do you understand?

Celeste is in shock. She places the phone in her pocket.

Celeste: I need Toby. I have to take the phone back to Bannerman Road.

Shanda: No you can’t! The vision will become true that way.

Celeste: Sarah Jane is being held captive and some madmen tells me he is going to kill her. I need to do whatever I can to rescue them.

Shanda: Okay. But try to prevent the future from becoming true.

Celeste: Stay here. Me and Toby will go.

At 13 Bannerman Road, Sarah Jane and Clyde are held at gunpoint. There is silence.

Donald: I know I told you to be quiet but it doesn’t have to be silent. Feel free to have as many conversations as you wish to have.

Sarah Jane: Okay then. Mr Smith, I need you.

Mr Smith opens up.

Mr Smith: Good afternoon, Mrs Smith. How can I be of help.

Sarah Jane: Place a containment field around our new friend, please. I’m afraid we can’t be taking any risks today.

Clyde: I thought you said that he had been destroyed?

Sarah Jane: I never said that. Now we need his help more than ever. Celeste is on the way but I shall tell her that she does not need to pass the key.

Clyde: If that creature was connected to the key, how come it never came to the site?

Donald: It doesn’t care about you. It only cares about me. I don’t know what I have done or what I did to deserve it but I did something.

Sarah Jane: We’ll get Mr Smith to scan the key when Celeste drops it off here.

Celeste and Toby arrive at 13 Bannerman Road. Celeste knocks the door. Sarah answers.

Sarah Jane: Ah, Celeste. I don’t think you’ve had the honour of ever visiting my home before. Would you care to come in?

Celeste: We’ve got the key in a box if you would like it.

Sarah Jane: Yes I would. My computer will do a few scans of it.

Toby: What happened to you being held at gunpoint?

Sarah Jane: The computer I just mentioned, Mr Smith, created a containment vortex around our new friend Donald. He won’t be causing us any harm any time soon.

Celeste: What does he want?

Sarah Jane: He claims an alien is hunting him down. He came here because he saw about us on the news. He wanted the key as it has a connection to this alien so it would summon the creature here where we could kill it.

Celeste: Maybe we should try and help this man.

Sarah Jane: I was going to until he pointed a gun at me. I’m not the biggest fan of violence. Do you want to come and have a look at the attic?

Celeste: I’ve been anticipating this day since I met you, Mrs Smith.

They enter the attic. Celeste looks stunned.

Celeste: Oh my god this is amazing. I guess this is our prisoner?

Clyde: All of this alien stuff and the first thing you point to is a human in a containment field?

Celeste: It is the most intriguing thing here.

Donald: You must be Celeste. Sarah Jane has already mentioned you. We also talked on the phone call. My name is Donald. You didn’t call the police?

Celeste: I couldn’t take the risk. We’ll try and help you.

Donald: Well you’re helping me without realising it. That key will summon the creature here. He will be here any second now. And you need to kill it.

Celeste: Release him now, Sarah Jane. Release the prisoner.

Sarah Jane: Why should I do that, he is a threat to our lives?

Celeste: If he tries harming you again then you can summon another containment vortex, but for now we need the prisoner released. He could help us.

Sarah Jane: There’s something coming and I don’t intend to harm it.

Celeste: This man might have some idea of how to stop it.

Sarah Jane: If he knew how to stop it then he would have done it already.

Donald: Celeste is right. Please release me from the containment vortex. I can help you stop this thing. You have the right tools here in this very attic.

Sarah Jane: I can’t do that, sorry.

Celeste: Computer, my name is Celeste Rivers. Please release the containment field.

Mr Smith: Sarah Jane, should I release the containment field?

Sarah Jane: No, just decline that order, Mr Smith.

Celeste: Mr Smith, I need you to release the containment vortex. There’s something coming and this man may be of some use to us.

Mr Smith releases the containment vortex. Donald hurries out of the attic.

Sarah Jane: We’ve got to get after him at once! Look what you’ve done, Celeste!

Clyde: I’ll go after him, don’t worry.

Clyde hurries down the steps and follows Donald out of the house. Clyde runs down the street while Donald hides behind the car. He steps inside of the car.

Celeste: I’m sorry, I thought he’d be able to help us.

Sarah Jane: What proof is there of being an alien anyway? He could be making all of this up. He could even be an alien himself. I’m used to every possibility by now.

Toby: Do you think we should help Clyde find the man?

Sarah Jane: Yes I think we should. Come along, you two.

Donald drives up the road in Sarah’s car. Gita and Haresh look out the window.

Haresh: He must be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Rani: That’s Sarah Jane’s car-He’s driven away in Sarah Jane’s car-I need to go-

Gita: You told us that we shouldn’t let you out of the house at any time.

Rani: Well, you’ve now got permission to let me go.

Sarah, Celeste and Toby ran into the road. Donald drives the car towards them. Rani runs out of the house and spots the incoming car. Rani jumps into the road pushing Sarah away. The car knocks her over. Sarah begins to cry. So does Celeste. Gita and Haresh run out into the road and spot Rani lying on the floor. Gita screams in agony. They all crowd around her body. Donald gets out of the car and watches over them.

Haresh: What do you think you’ve done?

Donald: I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I didn’t want it to end that way.

Haresh (Screams): What do you think you have done?

He punches Donald and falls to the floor in tears. Gita and Haresh hug each other, both crying. Clyde runs back into the road and joins them in a crowd of upset.

Clyde: No-No-No-No-No-No-No. It can’t be.

Sarah Jane: I’m so sorry, Clyde. I told you. There’s no way to stop the past. Today we did all we could to try and avoid it but in the end it always manages to catch up with you.

Gita: It’s not the time for all of that right now.

Clyde: Is she dead?

There is silence for a moment. Nobody knows how to respond to this situation. Toby calls an ambulance. There are only tears. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Clyde: What-What happens now-

Tomorrow: As Donald faces the repercussions of his recent actions, he tries to destroy the creature that has been haunting him all this time. With Sarah, Clyde, Gita, Haresh, Celeste and Toby all grieving after the events they have witnessed, there is only one question on everybody’s lips: Will Rani Chandra survive?