Excerpt from Blakes 7: The Program Guide by Tony Attwood

Avon meets an old acquaintance, Keiller, who is now purser of the Space Princess, a pleasure ship traveling from Zerok to Earth. Keiller says that although the Space Princess does indeed carry passengers, its real job is to transport gold from Zerok. He says that heavily armed ships regularly leave Zerok supposedly carrying gold, but they are merely a decoy for the only lightly armed Space Princess. He suggests that the gold could be stolen from the Space Princess, except for one problem: before it leaves Zerok, the gold is automatically transmuted to a black substance and has to be transmuted back before it is of any value. Keiller suggests further that the transmutation plant on Zerok can be tampered with, and that he has the technical knowledge to do it. This would leave the gold in its normal state and thus allow it to be stolen.

With only Vila left on Scorpio, the crew are teleported to Zerok, where they kill the guards and enter the underground mine. However alarm bells are set off and contrary to the plan there is a second attack of guards. Keiller, Tarrant and Dayna get back to Scorpio, but Avon and Soolin are erroneously thought to be dead on the planet. Avon comes to the conclusion that they have been set up, not only by Keiller but by someone else. Keiller admits that he has been used by an outside agency, but claims that he does not know who it is.

Upon returning to the ship, Avon determines that they should go ahead with the theft, despite having found that Keiller's last appointment was on the Presidential staff. On board the Space Princess, Avon and Keiller get the black gold whilst Dayna, who is disguised as a passenger, fakes an illness which will require her to be transported back to Zerok for treatment. The Space Princess puts out a distress call which is answered by Vila on Scorpio, and he agrees to take the ill Dayna back to Zerok.

When Scorpio and the Space Princess link up, Avon, Tarrant and Dayna, with Keilier, take the black gold aboard. They agree a rendezvous on Beta 5, where Keiller is expected to hand over the gold. As Avon completes the deal, the buyer is revealed to be Servalan and Avon admits that he has suspected this all the time. The crew of the Scorpio escape with the money handed over by Servalan whilst Servalan shoots Keiller, who has completed his usefulness for her. However once they are back on Scorpio, Orac informs the crew that Zerok has now ceded to the Federation and has thus come under the control of the Federation banking system, which has reformed the Zerok currency to bring it in line with Federation requirements. Thus the Zerok currency in which they have been paid is worthless, whilst Servalan has complete access to the gold.

Review 07/09/2006 by ledlogic

Pretty silly episode overall, but entertaining. Definitely campy. What happened to their goals? At this point in the series, it seems they are just trying to find money to pay the bills. It has become a bad game of Pay Day.

There is a recurring theme in the latter series that anyone who comes in contact with the group, dies.

(c) 1981 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Series created by Terry Nation. This is a complete dialogue transcript for research purposes and is not for sale under any circumstances. Format (c) 1993 by David Sanderson and Micky DuPree.

Dramatis Personae

• Kerr Avon - Paul Darrow
• Vila Restal - Michael Keating
• Servalan - Jacqueline Pearce
• Del Tarrant - Steven Pacey
• Dayna Mellanby - Josette Simon
• Soolin - Glynis Barber
• Orac - Peter Tuddenham
• Slave - Peter Tuddenham
• Keiller - Roy Kinnear
• Doctor Slaten - Antony Brown
• Woman Passenger - Dinah May
• Pilot (Captain Kennedy) - Norman Hartley

Uncredited:

• Zerok Flight Controller

[*?] = unintelligible

[Scorpio docks with another ship.]

[On board Scorpio.]

DAYNA: I'd better take a spare mag.

SOOLIN: So who is this Keiller?

AVON: An acquaintance.

TARRANT: He says he's an old friend of yours.

AVON: Well, he's wrong.

DAYNA: Well, it sounded like he had an interesting proposition to put to us.

AVON: He may have, or he may not. That's what we are going to find out. I need hardly remind you to stay on your guard at all times.

DAYNA: Personally, I'm more worried about the in-flight link-up.

TARRANT: That's no problem so long as Slave can match vectors.

DAYNA: Well, he says he can.

TARRANT: He says he's sorry most of the time. I don't believe that either. [Raising his voice.] Keep awake Vila. [Vila rolls his eyes.]

[Avon, Soolin, Dayna, and Tarrant cross over to the other ship.]

KEILLER: Welcome, welcome to the Space Princess, everybody.

SOOLIN: [Searching Keiller.] He's clean.

KEILLER: Of course I'm clean, what do you take me for. Avon and I are old friends. It's good to see you, Avon.

DAYNA: Uh, nobody said move, Keiller. Just relax.

TARRANT: But not, too much.

KEILLER: Say, Avon, what is this, Old Friend. Can't you keep your gang under control.

AVON: They're not my gang, Keiller. We are together for mutual convenience. I imagine that if I double-crossed them, they would try and kill me. Just as they will kill you, if you let them down.

KEILLER: So, ah, shall we go into the office. I'll explain everything.

[They enter the Pursers Office.]

AVON: Well?

KEILLER: This is the Space Princess. A bit of a played-out old pleasure cruiser. This is the Pursers Office of the Space Princess, and this [Indicating himself.] is the Purser of the Space Princess. Are you with me so far?

TARRANT: You're relaxing too much.

KEILLER: Look, can't we keep this friendly.

DAYNA: No!

TARRANT: You're not the pilot then?

KEILLER: No, I am not.

TARRANT: So, who is?

KEILLER: As of now, nobody. The ships empty, she's been for a refit. Look at all this, new stuff. She runs home on auto.

SOOLIN: Where's home, Keiller?

KEILLER: Zerok. A frontier planet. You may not know it. Not very modern. I say home. She makes orbit herself and a pilot comes up to take her down.

AVON: Zerok, the gold planet?

KEILLER: Right! [Chuckles.] You've got it, Old Friend. [Chuckles again.] So, shall we get to business.

SOOLIN: When we know what it is?

KEILLER: Smart. It's money. Look [Keiller activates some monitors.] ...we don't only carry passengers on this ship. We have a small hold, and we carry cargo. Valuable cargo. Now can anyone guess what it is?

TARRANT: Gold.

KEILLER: Right first time. Only it travels incognito. We pretend it's fruit. Zerok's a natural source of gold. It's virtually mined out everywhere else, so Zerok's rich.

DAYNA: Who buys it?

KEILLER: The Federation. Lots of places. It's still used as standard currency in fringe deals with planets that have no computer linkup. All the gold going from Zerok to the Federation goes by Space Princess.

SOOLIN: I don't believe you.

KEILLER: Oh, you should.

SOOLIN: This is a pleasure cruiser. It's got no armor.

KEILLER: I told you, it's incognito. Listen, every so often they send up a highly armed ship with security written all over it, bristling with guards. And every so often someone attacks it and gets killed. Which is crazy. Because that ship's carrying fruit. We carry gold with hardly any guards.

AVON: How do you know about this?

KEILLER: Me? [Chuckles] Look at all this surveillance. I'm a little more than a purser, you see. I'm a security man. A poorly paid one.

AVON: And you want us to help you get rich by stealing the gold from this ship.

KEILLER: Right. Fifty-fifty, what do you say?

AVON: We will decide the terms. Why pick on us?

KEILLER: You have a ship for the getaway. And a reputation for daring.

TARRANT: Which you heard about where?

KEILLER: Oh, I've known Avon, long time. [Avon smiles.] We're old friends...

TARRANT: That's not what I asked.

KEILLER: On the grapevine, my friend. You're getting to be big news.

[Entering the empty hold of the Space Princess.]

AVON: Seventeen billion?

KEILLER: Seventeen billion. That's what it's worth in direct exchange for cash.

SOOLIN: That's a lot of cash.

DAYNA: [To Avon.] The idea's good, isn't it? Seems good to me.

TARRANT: It's all clear. Maybe Vila should be here, to give us his professional opinion.

KEILLER: Vila?

DAYNA: He's one of us. He stayed on Scorpio.

SOOLIN: In case of misunderstanding.

KEILLER: This Vila, is he, uh...

AVON: He's a thief, and a good one. But we don't need Vila to tell us the obvious, do we? That no one, but no one allows a fortune like that to travel in an unarmed crate with just two plainclothes guards. So. What's the snag, Keiller!?

KEILLER: The processor.

TARRANT: The what?

KEILLER: At the mine on Zerok, they process the gold. They change its atomic constitution. It turns black. And it's useless until it's reprocessed, and that can't happen unless you know the computer code that was used on Zerok the day it was processed. Zerok won't release that code until the gold is in the hands of the Federation.

TARRANT: So, if we could steal it, what use is black gold to us?

KEILLER: [Chuckling-cough.] None what so ever.

SOOLIN: That is a snag.

KEILLER: But, there is a way around it, Pretty One [placing his arm around Soolin.]

AVON: We are waiting, Keiller!

KEILLER: The mine on Zerok, it's underground.

DAYNA: Like most mines.

KEILLER: And it's completely automated. The processed gold is even taken to the spaceport by underground conveyor.

SOOLIN: So?

KEILLER: So, Pretty One, we visit the mine and we tamper with the processor. That way the gold stays okay. When the gold's gone through, we readjust the processor and it's like nothing had happened. The computer says it's black, nobody checks. The gold is delivered here as normal.

DAYNA: And then we steal it.

KEILLER: That's right. Billions!

TARRANT: So it can be done.

KEILLER: Oh yes, it can be done, but it's not easy.

TARRANT: If it was easy you wouldn't need us.

SOOLIN: What's it like on the surface, this mine?

KEILLER: On the surface, Pretty One [Soolin raises her gun.] uh -- it's a pretense, like me. On Zerok it's a vegetable reprocessing plant, but, uh, under guard.

[On the surface of Zerok. Keiller is hiding. Soolin and Avon teleport in behind Keiller.]

AVON: We're not late I trust.

KEILLER: But we arranged -- I was supposed to get you through the fence. How did you get in here?

SOOLIN: Short cut.

KEILLER: Avon, Old Friend, I still don't understand how you got in here, but listen. They think I went out on that chopper. I'm no safer here now than you.

AVON: Good. [To Soolin.] Clear?

SOOLIN: Just one guard.

AVON: [To Keiller.] Let's go.

KEILLER: Right. This way.

KEILLER: [To guard.] They're with me. Visitors. [Soolin kills the guard.]

[Dayna and Tarrant teleport onto the planet surface, away from the others.]

KEILLER: [To computerized lock.] Voice print: Keiller two two seven one nine three two six. [Long delay, then the door opens.]

GUARD: What do you want?

KEILLER: [Forcing his way past the guard.] I've got to look in here. [Avon kills the guard.]

KEILLER: It's up there. [Indicating the top of a ladder.]

[At the top of the ladder Avon waits for Keiller, who is having trouble climbing the ladder.]

AVON: [Harsh whisper to Keiller.] Come on!

[Two guards move behind some plant equipment.]

KEILLER: [Offscreen.] Look out. [Soolin kills both of the guards.] I say, you two, that was good shooting.

AVON: [To Soolin] Not bad. [To Keiller] Soolin killed them both. [Clearing away from an opening.] After you.

[Inside a lift.]

KEILLER: Your friend, Vila, he wants no part in this?

SOOLIN: He doesn't trust you, Keiller. He thinks it's a trap.

KEILLER: Suspicious.

AVON: And frequently right. How much further?

KEILLER: The processing area is quite a way down.

[Dayna and Tarrant stand guard on the planet surface.]

DAYNA: Nothing. [An alarm starts ringing.]

SOOLIN: That's a security alarm.

KEILLER: We've got to get back up.

AVON: No! Down.

KEILLER: But now...

SOOLIN: Tarrant and Dayna are up there, they'll cover for us.

KEILLER: But, how'd they get there, I don't understand?

AVON: That is because we didn't explain.

DAYNA: What set that off?

TARRANT: Don't look at me, I didn't touch anything. [They shoot at some guards and run.]

TARRANT: Move!

GUARD: Come on!

[At the underground processing plant.]

KEILLER: This is it.

SOOLIN: How long have we got?

KEILLER: What, to stay alive? You tell me.

AVON: Two minutes, Keiller, while the gold goes through. Your estimate.

SOOLIN: Can you cope?

KEILLER: It's nothing. Just swapping a white leaf for a red.

SOOLIN: If the radiation's as deadly as you say, I hope it really is that simple.

[At the entrance with the electronic lock.]

DAYNA: Can we defend this?

TARRANT: Have we got a choice? [A small explosion goes off nearby.]

DAYNA: Looks as though we have.

TARRANT: Let's get up there.

[At the top of the ladder.]

DAYNA: Avon! Soolin!

TARRANT: [*?] [NOTE: This is entirely inaudible. Lip reading is difficult do to the angle of Tarrants head. The following are two possiblities: 1. Better get in after them. 2. Let's get in after them. Both suggestions are in doubt, but are likely to be similar in meaning to the actual dialogue.]

[At the underground processing plant.]

TARRANT: Avon! Soolin!

DAYNA: [Pointing at Keiller.] Tarrant!

TARRANT: Keiller, what happened? He's out cold. [Dayna looks through a door.] [To Dayna.] What is it?

DAYNA: Two bodies, I think. The radiation hasn't left much.

[On board Scorpio.]

KEILLER: Where am I? How did I get here.

VILA: It's your lucky day. Then again, maybe it isn't.

KEILLER: Vila. You couldn't have landed this thing anywhere near the mine. How did you get it...

VILA: A device called a teleporter. You weren't told about it?

KEILLER: Seems there's a lot I wasn't told.

DAYNA: It saved our lives.

KEILLER: And Avon, and the pretty one?

TARRANT: Avon and SOOLIN are dead.

KEILLER: I'm sorry.

TARRANT: That's something I suppose.

KEILLER: There was an ambush. Must have been a trap. I was working on the processor. Two guards were waiting.

DAYNA: Guards? What were they doing there?

KEILLER: I don't know, they shouldn't have been there. The gold was just about to go through, there was a fight, an explosion, a scramble to get out...

TARRANT: We were behind you in the corridor, Keiller, there were NO guards.

KEILLER: They must be dead as well. Like Avon and -- the pretty one.

VILA: You didn't set them up, I suppose? It wasn't a trap from the start?

KEILLER: Look, I nearly died myself, what do you think? It's you that's keeping things from me, not me from you.

TARRANT: The main alarm went off outside the warehouse. You'd already dealt with the guard, so who set it off?

KEILLER: Not me, I was working in the mine...

DAYNA: Someone knew we were coming.

KEILLER: Look, I didn't set you up.

TARRANT: But you know more than you're saying, don't you, Keiller?

KEILLER: No! No!

DAYNA: We have to find out, you see. For the sake of our friends. For the sake of our dead friends.

[At the underground processing plant.]

SOOLIN: Well, they cleared up the mess, at any rate.

AVON: They would. Breach of security. It could be an embarrassment. They will arrange an accident, I expect, to account for the dead guards.

SOOLIN: It worked. They think those corpses were us.

AVON: Well, why not? This was just a robbery that didn't come off. They have no idea who we were. Nothing was stolen. Besides, the guards that jumped us down here weren't their men, anyway.

SOOLIN: Those men weren't Zerok security guards?

AVON: Their uniforms were perfect, but the guns were not standard issue. Didn't you notice?

SOOLIN: Actually, no.

AVON: Someone else is using Keiller to get to us. It's the only logical explanation.

SOOLIN: So let's check him out, him and that ship of his.

AVON: We'll go out through the conveyor tunnel. It leads directly to the space port.

SOOLIN: That just leaves the problem of getting on board the Space Princess.

AVON: As long as it's still loading, that's NO problem.

[Space Princess Pursers Office.]

AVON: Communications records. You check the system, I'll go over the files.

SOOLIN: Right. So, how did Keiller do it?

AVON: Don't touch a volume output. If the gold is on board, so is the security.

SOOLIN: When I find it, I'll avoid it. [Avon opens a cabinet.] Something useful?

AVON: Guns.

SOOLIN: Something useful.

AVON: Ah, this looks more promising.

SOOLIN: What is it?

AVON: Some sort of log. Anything over there?

SOOLIN: I don't know yet, give me time. Ah! So, that's how Keiller did it. There's the hold. Plus gold. Plus security.

AVON: Quite a lot of security in fact.

SOOLIN: Avon, what's that?

AVON: Sound track?

SOOLIN: Seems to be.

AVON: Well, let's hear it, but make sure no one else does.

KEILLER: [V.O., recording over office P.A.] We are now passing as close as we dare to the ferocious power which is Pyrrus, and which has been called the twelfth wonder of... [Avon changes recordings.] ...a harmless electrical phenomenon known as Stardust Blizzard Field... [Avon changes recordings.] ...and the strange beauty of this ice planet can make it difficult to realize that it is one of the bleakest solid surfaces in the known galaxy.

AVON: So, this ship goes directly from Zerok to Earth. The pleasure cruise is a sham.

SOOLIN: Like everything else on Zerok. I'm surprised the passengers fall for it.

AVON: I imagine they have chemical help.

SOOLIN: You mean they drug the passengers?

AVON: Ah! This is interesting. Keiller's record. Very impressive. His last employer was the Federation.

SOOLIN: What's he doing here on Zerok?

AVON: [To himself.] On the President's personal staff. But which president?

SOOLIN: Avon, I think I've hit a volume output!

AVON: We'd better get out of here.

SOOLIN: [Into comm.] Scorpio, Scorpio. Come in, Scorpio.

VILA: [V.O., over comm.] Soolin!

SOOLIN: Stand by to bring us up, Vila.

VILA: [V.O.] Soolin, we thought you were dead.

SOOLIN: You sound disappointed. Are you standing by?

AVON: [Into comm.] Bring us up, Vila!

VILA: [V.O.] Avon!

SOOLIN: Now, Vila.

VILA: [V.O.] All right. All right. I'm doing my best.

KEILLER: Look, do you all have to stare at me like that? I swear I didn't let you down. All right. I was told to contact you.

TARRANT: By whom?

KEILLER: I don't know. I don't -- really. But they play rough, I do know that. They blackmailed me, said they'd use my record against me... I've got a criminal record, you see.

VILA: Hasn't everybody?

TARRANT: So this was their idea, then, not yours.

KEILLER: Some of it. Going to the mine was my idea.

DAYNA: What did they want?

KEILLER: Black gold. It seems they've got a way of laundering it back through the bank in Zerok. I can't imagine how, but they offered me a reward.

SOOLIN: You wanted more than a reward, though, didn't you, Keiller? You thought with our help you could get all that gold for yourself. I dislike greedy men, Keiller.

AVON: What was the reward?

KEILLER: Six billion. Quite a lot.

AVON: That's quite a lot less than seventeen billion.

KEILLER: That's what I thought... why I decided to go my own way. Look, Avon, these people are ruthless. I daren't go back to the Space Princess alone, they'll kill me.

TARRANT: Sounds reasonable.

KEILLER: You've got to take me with you, Avon.

VILA: Not a chance.

KEILLER: Please. Avon, if I go out there, I'm a dead man. Please!

AVON: All right, Keiller, we'll take you with us.

TARRANT: Wait just a minute, Avon --

AVON: We'll take you with us on one condition.

KEILLER: What's that?

AVON: The robbery goes ahead just as you and your former associates planned it, with one minor modification. We will use the teleport to steal your gold.

ORAC: I fear that will not be possible, Avon.

AVON: Why not?

ORAC: The processed gold will have undergone a subneutronic overlap shift. If subjected to the teleport process as well, it will reduce to dust irrevocably.

AVON: All right. We'll just have to use Keiller's plan as it stands.

VILA: Or falls.

CONTROL: [V.O., over comm.] [Beep] Space Princess, this is Zerok Control. Do you copy? [Beep]

PILOT: [V.O., over comm.] Zerok Control, this is Space Princess. Go ahead. [Beep]

CONTROL: [V.O.] Orbital clearance is on seven seven zero two. Confirm please. [Beep]

PILOT: [V.O.] Confirm seven seven zero two.

CONTROL: [V.O.] Have a happy trip. [Beep]

PILOT: [V.O.] Twelve standard days in this crate? That's happiness. [Beep]

[On Board Space Princess.]

KEILLER: [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning. Good morning. We are now one hour into our cruise, and this is Keiller, your Purser, welcoming you to Space Princess. We hope your trip will be a pleasant one. We'll be visiting some interesting places between here and Earth. And I, and the Captain, and the crew will endeavor to ensure that you gain maximum enjoyment and instruction from your voyage. Space Princess carries a number of special luxury facilities...

AVON: I want to see the Purser.

KEILLER: [V.O. recording continues.] ...Byro sauna units of the very latest kind...

KEILLER: Come in, Avon. [Keiller turns down the Pursers Office P.A.]

KEILLER: [V.O. recording continues from hallway P.A.] ...they reach the parts that other units don't even...

AVON: How many guards?

KEILLER: One in the hold. Two others change shift with him, but they won't be around, off-duty.

AVON: Plainclothes?

KEILLER: Two, on duty.

AVON: And you know them.

KEILLER: No. Different department. But they stand out a mile. They don't eat the passengers' food, so they're not drugged. And they're rotten actors.

AVON: It's vital that Tarrant and Soolin know them all. Now about this drug you gave Dayna.

KEILLER: Don't worry. It's quite safe. Causes symptoms, bad ones, but nothing else. They use it in psychological tests for security.

AVON: The plan was that she should fake it.

KEILLER: The regular doctor didn't turn up for the flight. The one they got as a last-minute replacement might not be the drunken 'alf-wit the other one was. Relax, Avon. It'll work, I stake my life on it.

AVON: Oh yes, indeed.

[Corridor outside of the Pursers Office.]

KEILLER: [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning. Good morning. Keiller the Purser speaking. In a few minutes I shall be giving you the day's itinerary, but first, please tune all chronometers to frequency seven for synchronization with Federation Standard Time...

TARRANT: Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Purser?

KEILLER: [V.O., recording continues.] ...Thank you.

WOMAN PASSENGER: No, sorry. Have a nice day.

TARRANT: Ask a silly question. I'm beginning to wish I was eating the same food as them. They seem to be having a good time.

SOOLIN: Why don't we wait in the Pursers Office?

TARRANT: What a good idea! [They enter the Pursers Office and check the monitor screen.] Any minute now.

[Entering the Space Princess hold.]

KEILLER: [To guard.] It's all right, it's only Keiller. But this is Avon. [Keiller steps aside. Avon shoots the guard.] Keep clear of the camera, just in case. [Keiller hooks a device to the security camera.] There, that should keep us safe, Old Friend. As of now we're not here. [Avon and Keiller wheel in a gurney.] When we shoot the lock stand well back, Old Friend. They play tricks. Exploding catches, things like that.

[Corridor outside the Pursers Office.]

KEILLER: [V.O., recording over P.A.] Good morning, passengers. Keiller again with your day's itinerary as promised. Will all passengers who wish to now refer to the star maps issued at the start of the cruise. Coordinates for the position obtained...

[A member of the ships crew enters the Pursers Office. He checks the monitors. Soolin and Tarrant are hiding.]

KEILLER: [V.O., recording can be heard from corridor P.A.] ...in which quadrant...

[Space Princess hold.]

KEILLER: [Opening container of black gold.] Just look at that - will you look at that. [Small explosion from inside gold pile.] Avon, get down! Avon, quick help me get them off! Quick! Quick! Avon, help me get them off! Get them off! Get them off! Not with your hands! Not with your hands! Get something and get them off quickly! Quickly!

AVON: What are they?

KEILLER: Killers! When they're fired they ignite! If they hit you they go right through you, you've got about ten seconds. Am I clear? Am I clear?

AVON: You're clear!

KEILLER: Make certain. Some of them don't ignite right away.

AVON: You're clear! [Keiller sobs.] Now, are there likely to be any more booby traps?

KEILLER: No. No, that'll be all. Come on.

[Pursers Office. The crew member leaves.]

KEILLER: [V.O., over corridor P.A.] ...that's the end of our itinerary for the standard unit number six.

TARRANT: Ah, that was close.

SOOLIN: Yes, he was nearly dead.

[Space Princess hold.]

KEILLER: That's it then, Avon, Old Friend. Round one to us, I think.

AVON: Possibly. The cube isn't working!

KEILLER: Huh? I must have knocked it when that firecracker hit me. Doesn't matter, though. If they'd found out, we'd be dead by now.

[Corridor outside the Pursers Office.]

KEILLER: [To female passenger.] Have a nice day now. [Keiller enters the Pursers Office.]

SOOLIN: You've done it?

KEILLER: Avon's waiting in the lift with the gold. What about Tarrant?

SOOLIN: All on schedule.

[The ships Doctor is examining Dayna, who appears to be very sick.]

DOCTOR: You should have declared her condition before the flight. This will give temporary relief, nothing else.

TARRANT: But I don't understand. She had plenty of her tablets. She must have lost them.

DOCTOR: Addicts do you know. That's why it's an offense not to report to me before leaving Zerok.

TARRANT: Can she survive 'til we reach Earth?

DOCTOR: Yes.

TARRANT: That's all right then.

DOCTOR: Unfortunately not. Being an alien she won't be given drugs on Earth.

TARRANT: Oh, but in that case she'll die.

DOCTOR: Precisely.

TARRANT: What hope is there then, Doctor?

DOCTOR: Only to return to Zerok, and I can't see that happening. Can you?

TARRANT: [Shakes his head. Barely audible.] No.

DOCTOR: However, we'll try. [To comm.] Sickbay to flight deck, this is Doctor Slaten. I need to talk to Captain Kennedy.

PILOT: [V.O., over comm.] There's no doubt in your mind that she'll die, Doctor?

DOCTOR: [V.O., over comm.] None at all, Captain.

PILOT: [V.O.] Aborting the trip is out of the question, I'm afraid.

DOCTOR: [V.O.] I realize that.

PILOT: [V.O.] I could put out a mayday I suppose. See if there's a ship around could take her back. It's a very slim chance, though. [Keiller is eavesdropping on the comm-link.]

KEILLER: You'd be surprised.

DOCTOR: [V.O.] It's her only chance under the circumstances.

PILOT: [V.O.] I'll give a try then, Doctor.

DOCTOR: [V.O.] Thank you, Captain.

KEILLER: And so say all of us. Eh, Pretty One.

PILOT: [V.O., over comm.] ...is suffering from exobriddium addiction and requires immediate passage to Zerok. Mayday. Mayday. This is passage liner Space Princess. We have a medical emergency.

VILA: [Into comm.] Space Princess. Space Princess. This is civilian freighter Scorpio calling Space Princess.

PILOT: [V.O.] Go ahead, Scorpio.

VILA: [Into comm.] We are enroute for Zerok. We can accept your passenger.

[Corridor of the Space Princess. Tarrant and the Doctor are pushing a wheezing Dayna to a lift.]

AVON: [From inside the lift, to the Doctor.] Stand back and raise your hands.

DOCTOR: Who are you? What do you want?

AVON: Do as I say. I shan't hesitate to kill you.

DOCTOR: [To Tarrant.] Do as he says.

DAYNA: Avon! [Knocks the gun from Avons hand. The Doctor runs.] The antidote.

AVON: [To Tarrant.] Get after him!

DAYNA: I'm dying.

DOCTOR: [To Keiller.] Here! Look Out! It's some sort of hold up. [Keiller shoots him.]

KEILLER: See, Pretty One, I can shoot too.

SOOLIN: [Raising her gun.] He wasn't armed.

TARRANT: [Grabbing Keiller's gun.] Or dangerous.

KEILLER: Everyone's dangerous.

TARRANT: [In a disgusted tone.] Let's go.

AVON: Did you get him.

TARRANT: Keiller shot him. [Avon pauses.]

AVON: Give me a hand with this. [They move Daynas gurney, containing the gold, into the lift.]

KEILLER: I told you it would work. We're going to walk off this ship and no one's even going to try and stop us.

GUARD: [Offscreen.] Stop them!

TARRANT: Guards!

AVON: Dayna!

TARRANT: Go! [Some shots are exchanged.] There's more!

DAYNA: Avon, they're disengaging.

TARRANT: We've got about ten seconds before the airlocks close automatically.

AVON: Come on! I'll cover. [Avon takes careful aim and fires while the others run. Avon then runs, but trips before reaching Scorpio.]

TARRANT: [Offscreen.] Avon! [Avon and a guard are trapped between ships.]

GUARD: The door! Open the door! No! Come back! Help! Open the door! No!

AVON: Vila, I need teleport now, Vila. NOW, VILA!

GUARD: [With a fading scream.] Agh!

AVON: [To the crew entering from the airlock.] What kept you.

TARRANT: All right, Slave, get us out of here, full power.

SLAVE: At once, Sir.

VILA: Did you get the gold?

VILA: Eight?

AVON: Nine.

VILA: Try ten. [Avon looks at Dayna, who shrugs slightly. Avon smiles slightly and snorts. Dayna smiles slightly at him.]

AVON: All right, Keiller. Time to make contact.

KEILLER: Anything to get this over with, Old Friend.

AVON: You were given a frequency, I presume. They can't be far away, can they?

KEILLER: Rendezvous where?

AVON: Beta Five, in the Ark Rough Bennett Complex.

DAYNA: But that's in Federation territory.

SOOLIN: Isn't that too dangerous.

AVON: The whole complex is remote, useless, and uninhabited. I don't think we need worry.

KEILLER: [Timidly.] Beta Five, then. [More confidently.] Beta Five it is.

AVON: One more thing. The price is ten billion, not six.

KEILLER: [Exhales sharply and gets a horrified look on his face.] That's ridiculous...

VILA: No, It's good business.

AVON: We, have the gold.

TARRANT: We're well ahead of schedule.

AVON: We are going to need to be. We have to put Scorpio down on Beta Five, unload the gold, and get Scorpio back into orbit. All before they arrive.

DAYNA: Makes you appreciate the teleport, doesn't it.

AVON: Vila, once we are down you take Scorpio back into orbit on your own, but stay within teleport range.

VILA: But out of attack range?

AVON: Did you want me to tell you to watch out for hostile ships.

VILA: Just checking.

AVON: As for the rest of you. No risks, no heroics, please. Just stick to the plan.

SLAVE: Uh, Beta Five approach is vector achieved and holding, Master.

AVON: Thank you, Slave. Put it on the main screen.

[On the surface of Beta Five.]

VILA: [V.O., over comm.] Avon.

AVON: [Offscreen, into comm.] Yes, Vila.

VILA: [V.O.] Orbit's established, and according to Slave's detectors your customer should be with you any time now.

AVON: I can see them now. Be ready, Vila.

VILA: [V.O.] Aren't I always.

AVON: No, you're not. [Avon turns off his comm-link.] [Louder, to the others on the planet surface.] They're on their way.

[A group of black clad people arrive.]

AVON: All right, everyone move back from the gold, slowly. Don't make any sudden moves. [The crew move back. A black clad figure moves forward and sets down a case. Avon moves forward, then drops down. Dayna chops Keiller and all the crew draw their guns.]

DAYNA: Quite still, Keiller!

AVON: I've been waiting for a chance to kill you...Servalan. [Servalan removes a facial cover, revealing her face.]

DAYNA: Servalan?

SERVALAN: Congratulations, Avon. I see you worked it out.

AVON: Keiller was once on the personal security staff of the president of the Federation. That just had to be you. It wasn't hard to work out. But it wasn't meant to be, was it?

SERVALAN: I don't know what you mean.

AVON: You wouldn't leave me a clue like that. Not unless you really wanted to. You knew I wouldn't be able to resist it. You planned everything, every move, you even knew that Keiller would disobey you, and you hoped that I would trust him because of that.

SERVALAN: Very good.

AVON: I almost did trust Keiller. When I found out it was you, I knew I was safe from him, at least. After all, he has nothing to gain from obeying you. Only in the end, it occurred to me that he might possibly imagine that you would keep your side of the bargain and pay him his reward instead of just killing him. He doesn't know you as well as I do.

SERVALAN: Who does? Avon, would you be careful with the gun. My guards have orders to shoot you first. The price of my life would be yours.

AVON: Well, now. The sacrifice might be worthwhile.

SERVALAN: You're not the sacrificial type.

AVON: You're right. We'll do business as arranged. That was very good bait, the black gold.

SERVALAN: I knew you'd like it. [They laugh.]

AVON: But I shouldn't imagine it's much use to you now. You'll just have to confess and pay up.

TARRANT: [Into comm.] We're ready, Vila.

KEILLER: Avon, what about me?

AVON: We can't take you with us, Old Friend. Vila was right, we can't trust you. So we're leaving you, to her. [The crew teleports up.]

KEILLER: I'm sorry, I...I did my best. What do we do now.

SERVALAN: [To the people in black.] Load the gold and watch him.

KEILLER: I don't suppose I'll get paid now, will I, Servalan?

SERVALAN: What use would money be to you...here.

KEILLER: But you...you're not goin' to...Servalan, nobody lives here. There's no shelter, no food. Let me...you're not going to leave me here alone.

[Servalan turns her back and smiles to herself.]

VILA: Well, will you look at that. Two billion each.

TARRANT: I've never seen currency of that size.

DAYNA: Neither have I.

VILA: I just can't believe my eyes.

SOOLIN: Avon, why didn't you tell us that you knew who it was who was setting us up?

AVON: Would it have made any difference if I had?

TARRANT: You know damn well it would. Servalan's not just some greedy gangster

AVON: Surely that is exactly what she is.

[On the planet Servalan drives away with the black gold, revealing Keiller laying face down on the ground, apparently dead. Servalan looks upward and smiles.]

SOOLIN: Avon, you took risks with our lives.

AVON: For ten billion in cash and an outside chance of killing Servalan? Would you rather I hadn't?

ORAC: It was not sensible.

AVON: What's that supposed to mean?

ORAC: Within the last few hours, Zerok has ceded to the Federation.

DAYNA: So that black gold will be of use to Servalan. The Federation doesn't know how she's got it. She's made herself a good profit.

ORAC: [Almost laughing] It's worse than that, unfortunately.

TARRANT: Worse?

ORAC: The Federation banking system will now take over that of Zerok. All bank notes drawn by the Bank of Zerok will be declared invalid within seven days and all private transactions will be illegal directly. The consequences of this are clear.

TARRANT: Yes, they're clear all right. Aren't they, Avon. We've just risked our lives, for nothing.

SOOLIN: Not for nothing, Tarrant. We risked our lives to make Servalan rich. [Soolin throws some bank notes in the air. Avon laughs.]