The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 6 Episode 6: The Future Tale Part 2

Previously: One of Sarah Jane’s most cherished friends, Celeste Rivers, uncovers a mysterious object which grants those who hold it the ability to see into their future. When a police officer retrieves it, they witness themselves telling Sarah that one of their friends has died. Celeste and her assistant Toby call Sarah, Clyde, Rani, Sky and Shanda to the scene, and when they each hold the key, they discover that Rani is the one who is going to face the fate of death. Trying to avoid the inevitable fate that is about to be bestowed upon them, Sarah and Clyde return to Bannerman Road while the others wait at the scene where the object was discovered. A man who claims to have been haunted by aliens arrives at 13 Bannerman Road in need of Sarah’s help, but it soon becomes clear that this alien is linked to the key. This man, Donald, holds Sarah and Clyde at gunpoint and demands that Celeste brings the key to him so that he can summon the creature to Bannerman Road where he can kill it. Mr Smith creates a containment field from which Donald manages to escape, and gets in Sarah’s car, leading to the events that some of the group had witnessed when looking at the key.

Clyde: What happens now?

The ambulance arrives. The paramedics rush out of it and check if Rani is alive. Police roll up and take Donald in for questioning.

Gita: Oh my god is she alright? Is my daughter alright?

Paramedic: She’s still got a pulse. She’s alive. We’ll take her in, but we expect her to be in a severe comma like this for several weeks.

Gita: Well she’s alive! That’s all I could wish for! My poor sweet Rani!

Sarah Jane: I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

Haresh: This is all because of you and the alien hunting. If only we’d never moved to Bannerman Road. In my eyes, this is your fault, Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane: I know it is, and I’m as upset as you are, believe me-

Haresh: Don’t expect to talk to any of us ever again.

Gita and Haresh get into the ambulance with Rani. It drives away.

Clyde: He’s right you know. All of this is all your fault. We nearly lost Rani. We still could lose Rani, and Rani is one of the most important people in my life. I’m not one to cry, so I won’t, but I’m angry. I can’t do all of this any more.

Clyde storms off. Sarah Jane, Celeste and Toby go inside.

Celeste: We did all we could, Sarah Jane, but you were right-The future always finds a way of happening, no matter what. There’s no way to stop it. There’s no way to defeat it. The future, in many ways, is a more powerful monster than any you have ever faced.

Toby: What are you going to do now, Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane: I can’t do this anymore. I can’t bring kids into my life. When Maria was here I was questioning it. I tried my best to stop her from entering my life but from there she did, and from there Clyde did, and Rani, and Sky, and Shanda. But this is it. Rani could die, and it’s all my fault. All of this, this alien hunting, it needs to happen, it needs to be. But now the world knows about it all, it’s just gotten even more dangerous. This is my job now, not theirs.

Celeste: What about Donald? And the Key? And the Alien?

Sarah Jane: The Police will determine whether Donald can be let out of his cell or not. I’m sure he’ll be safe from the Alien. Destroy the Key. It will do no good. And the Alien-Well there’s no proof that an alien would exist.

Celeste: Do you want us to help you find it?

Sarah Jane: Yes, Celeste. You read my mind.

At the Military base, Sarah drops the Key. This had all been a vision of the future.

Sarah Jane: That was-That will be-That is what’s going to happen.

Celeste: This key seems to provide us with an accurate vision of whatever happens in the future. What you just saw seems to be what happens next.

Sarah Jane: There must be a way to change it. I can’t let that happen to Rani.

Celeste: Count that as a warning. You know what you’ve been doing wrong now.

Rani, Shanda, Sky, Clyde and Toby enter

Rani: So then, tell us all. What did you see through the Key.

Sarah Jane: I saw something that I do not want to come true. The Key predicted a future that I now know I need to stop. I don’t know how I could stop it, but there must be something that we can do to prevent whatever happens from happening.

Shanda: Why don’t you just destroy the Key?

Sarah Jane: No. This Key could give us some assistance. I know what we need to do. We need to find the man who’s responsible for all that happened.

Donald is hurrying down the street, chased by the Alien. Nobody else can see it. Sarah’s car pulls out in front of him and he stops.

Donald: Oh my god it’s you. You were on the News.

Sarah Jane: Yes. I hear you’ve been haunted by Aliens.

Donald: Yes, there is something following me. It’s right behind me. For some reason though, nobody else can see it.

Sarah Jane: Does it want to kill you?

Donald: It doesn’t want to kill me. It just wants to haunt me and I don’t know why.

Sarah Jane: This creature, has it ever talked to you?

Donald: No. Sometimes I just think that it could be a figment of my imagination.

Sarah Jane: Maybe it is. Maybe you need some help. Check in at a mental health clinic somewhere and I’m sure they will help. Don’t worry about coming to my house.

Donald: What have you got inside of that box?

Sarah Jane: Oh , it's just a possession of mine. It does not matter what it is.

Donald: Can I have a look at it please? I just wanted to see.

She hands Donald the box. Donald grabs a weapon transporting Sarah and the Gang into a black room. Donald soon follows them there, without the Key.

Donald: Sorry, I just needed to place you somewhere else for my convenience.

Sarah Jane: What are you doing? What do you want?

Donald: You were right. That Creature isn’t real. I’ve made it up. And I’ve made it up all this time. That Key belongs to me, and I’m playing a great game with you. It’s just a shame that you won’t remember any of this happening.

Sarah Jane: What do you mean?

Donald: I’ve been playing with you all this time. The future is the greatest weapon imaginable. I will use it to destroy you, Sarah Jane. I will use it to destroy all of your friends. You have seen part of it already, but there’s much more to it than you imagine.

Donald presses a button, transporting Sarah and the gang back to Bannerman Road.

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.

Inside of Sarah Jane’s car.

Shanda: So this Celeste Rivers person. Who is she?

Sarah Jane: She’s an old friend of mine. She’s helped me out countless times. She’s given me things which I could use to stop the Slitheen, a Jeggorabax Energy Entity, the Metalkind and Erasmus Darkening. Now, she’s got another proposition for me. It’s always a worrying sign when she has to show me something.

Sky: I’m looking forward to meeting her. I always like meeting new people.

Sarah Jane: Oh she’s very nice. I’m sure you’ll both like her.

A traffic Jam holds the Car up. A female hitchhiker approaches.

Hitchhiker: 'Scuse me, I don’t suppose you could give me a ride.

Clyde: Sorry we’re in a bit of a rush, and the car’s pretty crammed as it is.

Sarah Jane: Where do you need to go?

Hitchhiker: Actually, forget it, maybe it’s best I walk. Your name is Sarah Jane Smith, isn’t it? A friend of mine always used to talk about you. I miss him.

Sarah Jane: I miss him too. I really do. What’s your name?

Hitchhiker: It’s Lydia. Lydia Barker. Me and my friend Janet have a commitment we need to, well, commit to. It’s really a matter of life and death.

Sarah Jane: See you another time, Lydia Barker.

The Car moves on. They eventually arrive at the Military Base.

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?

Flashes forward. Skips to Rani being hit by a Car. Everything happens. Sarah, Celeste and Toby go inside the attic.

Sarah Jane: The Police will determine whether Donald can be let out of his cell or not. I’m sure he’ll be safe from the Alien. Destroy the Key. It will do no good. And the Alien-Well there’s no proof that an alien would exist.

Celeste: Do you want us to help you find it?

Sarah Jane: Yes, Celeste. You read my mind.

The Car arrives at the Police station. Sarah and Celeste walk inside.

Sarah Jane: Excuse me, I believe you’ve got a friend of mine in here, his name is Donald.

Officer: We have many Donalds in here.

Sarah Jane: He hit a teenager with a car. Well, it was an accident. It was not his fault. It was an accident. Please could you let him go.

Within time, Donald is let go. He walks over to Sarah Jane.

Donald: I’m so sorry about what I did with your friend. I didn’t expect it to end that way.

Sarah Jane: Except you did. I know now. I’ve been through this cycle so many times that I’ve realised what you are up to. You’re playing a game with us. A great game. When will it stop? Why are you doing this? What do you want?

Donald: I want to have fun. Is that what you want to hear? I placed the Key at the site so I could have a bit of fun and play around with you. I don’t intend to stop.

Sarah Jane: I need you to stop. I need you to let us out of the cycle. Please, Donald. I can’t even tell what’s real and what’s not any more.

Donald: All of this is real, Sarah Jane. And I’m telling the truth. I never intended to hurt your friend. I didn’t seek enjoyment out of that. I just need to abide by the rules of the future.

Sarah Jane: This time round I intend to change it.

Donald: You try to change something every time we go around the cycle. Are you ready to go around again? Maybe this time you will be successful.

Donald clicks the button. They return to the black room.

Sarah Jane: I know what you want now. I know that you want me to stop this, don’t you? You want us to stop our little alien hunting fiasco by showing me what will happen. I’ve learnt lessons from this, but that won’t be one I’ll be learning.

Donald: I’ll see you all when the cycle goes around again.

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.

Flashing forward through all of the events. The Car approaches and hits Rani. Clyde storms off. Sarah, Toby and Celeste arrive at the Police Station. Sarah tries to grab the button off him but he presses it, and rotates the cycle once again. The same events happen a number of times. Eventually, things change…

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 but Sarah pushes her back to the other side of the road. The car hits Sarah. Rani, Celeste, Clyde and Gita begin to cry.

Rani: Call an ambulance. Quickly, somebody call an ambulance!

Toby calls an ambulance.

Sky: Is she alive? Is she alive? Is she alive?

Gita: She’s not breathing. Oh my god, her pulse has gone.

The Ambulance arrives. Sarah Jane is dead. They take her body away. Rani, Sky and Clyde break down in tears. The others are emotional. Inside of the Chandra's house.

Rani: I can’t believe that she’s really gone.

Clyde: What are we going to do now? The world will go to pot without her.

Rani: I’m sure if there are any major invasions the Doctor will help out.

Gita: He’s the handsome one with the long brown coat, isn’t he? He can come and save me any day.

Haresh: Gita, it’s hardly the time for that.

Shanda: What about Mr Smith? What about me and Sky-Where will we go?

Clyde: We’ve got lots of space. Worst things worse, you can come and stay with us.

Sky: That’s very kind of you, Clyde. I guess we’re going to have to deactivate Mr Smith.

A few minutes later across the road, Sky takes out Mr Smith’s disc drive. A week later, everyone gathers for Sarah’s funeral. Afterwards at the Pub, Donald confronts Rani.

Rani: It’s you-You were the one who killed her-

Donald: It shouldn’t have happened like this. I really didn’t want it to happen like this. In the original version that I witnessed, you died, but she cared for you so much that she sacrificed herself for you. She died so you didn’t have to.

Rani: What do you mean the original version?

Donald: The Key that can predict the future belongs to me. I’ve been playing a bit of a game with you. I’ve been rotating you round and around in circles to have a bit of fun, and in every version of the future up until now, you were the one who was hit by the car, not her.

Rani: Why does anyone have to be hit by a car?

Donald: That’s just how events managed to play out. That’s just what the Key did. The Key and I are connected. We help each other create the future that will soon occur.

Rani: Is this the last time you rotate this?

Donald: No, but the next time will be. I don’t want to die, but now I have structured the future that you have seen through the Key as being that one of you will die. I’m so sorry but one of you will have to make a sacrifice.

Rani: I don’t want to. None of them will want to either.

Donald: Something has to happen in this upcoming version of the future. Somebody needs to die. I don’t mind who, or how, but Sarah has to hear from a police officer that one of her friends has died. This is it: The end of the great game.

Rani: How can I trust you? How do I know that this will be the last time you rotate?

Donald: I don’t want Sarah Jane to die. If she does die in the next time we go around, then we’ll keep going. But I want this to be it. The end.

Rani: Okay, rotate us round again then.

Donald turns around. Clyde is now holding the switch.

Clyde: I remember now. You keep rotating us around, don’t you. You keep wiping our memory of every single time that we rotate. Well then, this is it. I will destroy the switch.

Rani: Don’t do it, Clyde. We’ve found a way to fix this. We know how to bring her back.

Clyde: He’s alluded you into believing him. He’s made you feel sorry for him. Really though, this man killed Sarah Jane, and he thinks it is one big game.

Donald: I don’t want her to die. I honestly want to make things right.

Clyde: There’s no way to make things right. Sarah Jane is dead, and there’s nothing right about that. You won’t let us go back and fix it. Instead you’ll just make us relive her death over and over and over again.

Rani: Please, trust him, Clyde. He’s realised the errors of his ways.

Clyde: That’s the difference between you and I, Rani. You’re more trustworthy than me.

Clyde drops the switch to the ground. Donald grabs a gun and shoots him in the arm. Clyde drops to the floor and Donald grabs the switch.

Rani: You shot him. You shot Clyde in the arm.

Donald: Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that never needs to happen.

He presses the switch, transporting everyone back to the room.

Rani: We’re here again. We need to make all of this right.

Donald: This is it. The final chance. Let’s go back to the future and make things right.

Time rotates around in yet another cycle

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.

Rani: Let’s go then. Let’s find out what she wants this time around.

Flashes forward through events once again until Donald is trapped in the Containment Vortex. Celeste demands that Sarah let him free.

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. He rushes down the stairs and gets inside of the Car. The gang hurry after him. He drives towards the scene of the Military base where Sky and Shanda are unoccupied. Meanwhile, Haresh and Gita look out of their 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.

Rani hurries outside, followed by Gita and Haresh.

Rani: Has something happened? What has happened? Something’s happened.

Sarah Jane: He’s gone. Donald has gone. He has stolen my car.

Rani: Oh my god I remember now. You witnessed something through the future key, did you not? Well I’ve been through this enough times to remember what it’s really about. Donald has us in a trap and is attempting to find a way to break it. He said one of us would have to make a sacrifice which means that he’s gone to-Oh no-

Sarah Jane: He’s gone to the Military base to kill Sky or Shanda.

Donald gets out of the Car and points the gun at Sky.

Sky: Oh my god please don’t hurt us! What do you want?

Donald: We all know what’s meant to happen by now. One of us needs to make a sacrifice. Somebody needs to make a sacrifice. Sarah needs to hear that one of her friends has died and we need to make that come true.

Shanda: You mean that you’re going to kill one of us?

Donald: I’m so sorry. You seem like two very nice people, but I can’t let this continue. We need to make the spell break somehow and I know exactly how.

Shanda: How? What spell? What are you going to do?

Donald shoots Shanda in the head and then shoots himself in the head. Sky kneels down by Shanda’s body and cries. They were both dead. The spell had been broken. Police are still at the scene. Sky calls for them. They roll up the body. At Bannerman Road, Sarah Jane receives a phone call from a police officer.

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

Sarah Jane: What? Who?

Police Officer: I believe her name is Shanda.

Sarah Jane begins to cry. She places the phone in her pocket. Clyde bursts in.

Clyde: I couldn’t find Donald anywhere. What is it, Sarah Jane? What’s wrong?

Sarah Jane: It’s Shanda. She’s dead. Donald managed to break the spell.

Sarah, Clyde, Rani, Celeste, Toby, Gita and Haresh sit in the Chandra's house in silence for a moment as they reflect on what has happened. A police car eventually drops Sky home. She joins them on the sofa to mourn.

Sky: I can’t believe she’s gone. We hardly got to know her.

Sarah Jane: It’s a pity, really. But everybody goes in the end. And now, the spell has been broken. Donald has gone too. It’s over.

Toby: I’m so sorry for your loss.

Sarah Jane: It’s okay, Toby. Donald is the only one to blame here and he was punished. I just wish I was there to save Shanda. I wish nobody had to die.

Rani: Well that’s how it is sometimes. Sometimes all of this is just unfair.

Sarah Jane: Yes it is. We’ve all lost things today, and it will be a day we will never forget. And Shanda, while we did not know her as well as we perhaps would have liked to, she will live on in our minds forever, for the sacrifice she paid, and the times she saved our lives. We shall remember her forever.

On the Day of Shanda’s funeral, everyone gathers around. Sky and Sarah are sitting on a bench. Sarah sheds a tear.

Sky: Are you alright? I know that she meant a lot to you.

Sarah Jane: It’s silly really that someone we knew so little about means so much to us. I will miss her. I tried so hard to protect her and sadly I did not succeed.

Sky: Shanda looked through the Key and saw something from the future. She told me she saw this hooded man approaching her. How is that possible if she’s dead?

Sarah Jane: The future key may have predicted everything that happened today correctly but it may not always be particularly accurate. Shanda must have seen an inaccurate version. Unless there’s something unpredictable around the corner waiting for us.

Sky: There’s always something unpredictable around the corner waiting for us.

Celeste: Ah Sarah Jane. I was just saying goodbye to everyone.

Sarah Jane: There’s no need to say goodbye. We’ll see each other again.

Celeste: Oh, didn’t I tell you? Me and Toby got a call in the week. We’ve got to go to Wales for a while to take a look at some pretty suspicious alien activity.

Sarah Jane: Doesn’t Torchwood do that sort of thing?

Celeste: Torchwood closed their doors quite a while ago. Hopefully we’ll be seeing them again, but for now, it’s up to me and Toby.

Sarah Jane: Well good luck, Celeste. I hope our paths cross again one day.

Celeste: Oh I’m sure they will do. If they don’t, I’d like to say that it’s been an honour.

Sarah Jane: It truly has, Celeste. Good luck with the Wales thing.

Celeste: Good luck with everyone coming to you for help, Mrs Smith. I’d just like to say that all of this is going to get much harder.

Sarah Jane: Oh yes I’m aware of that. But I don’t need to be afraid. I’m surrounded by the best friends I could imagine. The best defences. This is about to get a whole lot harder, and a whole lot scarier, but I’m sure I can survive.

Celeste: You’re a tough woman, Mrs Smith. Of course you can.

Sarah Jane: And if I don’t, well, at least I’m going out doing something I love. To the future.

Celeste: To the future, indeed.

Next Week: Clyde, Rani and Sky grow suspicious about a new teacher that has arrived at their school. They soon discover that this teacher is a Bane in disguise, and they desperately need Sarah Jane’s help. The Bane are being hunted down by an unidentified Alien assassin, and they need protection. Them, and someone long thought dead.