Following a distress signal , the TARDIS lands on a 17th-century pirate ship captained by Henry Avery , whose crew is terrorised by a Siren -like creature who marks crew members with black spots when they are injured and then seemingly disintegrates them. Rory receives a cut, and Amy and the Doctor keep him away from the Siren. Discovering that the Siren uses reflection as a portal, they rid the ship of any reflective surfaces. When Rory and Avery's son Toby are taken by the Siren, the Doctor, Amy, and Avery prick themselves and the Siren teleports them on an invisible alien spaceship which occupies the same spot as the pirate ship. There they find a sickbay where Rory and Toby are kept; Amy and the Doctor pull Rory off life support and Amy performs CPR to revive him.
EXT, SEA, NIGHT A group of four pirates row the long boat back to their ship through still waters through dense fog. The ship is still as there is not enough wind to fill the sails though a small breeze blows the array of charms hanging like chimes. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT The pirates climb aboard and are greeted by another. PIRATE 1: What's wrong? PIRATE 2: Man wounded. Stunned, PIRATE 1 looks at the wounded man even as he points to the aft of the ship. PIRATE 1: Wake him. PIRATE 2 leaves. INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT We see gold and jewels spilling over chests. The pirates are there, waiting on the CAPTAIN'S decision. PIRATE 1: He slipped in the bilge water, Cap'n, and fell on to the rigger. His hand... I don't know if he'll survive. The CAPTAIN turns around and looks at the WOUNDED MAN'S hand. There is a small scratch on his finger. CAPTAIN: You're a dead man, McGrath. The CAPTAIN turns over McGRATH'S hand to reveal a black spot on his palm. CAPTAIN: Same as all the others. A hypnotic woman's voice can be heard singing. CAPTAIN: She's here. PIRATE 1: Oh, save our souls. McGRATH: I've got to escape! (runs from the cabin) PIRATE 1: Don't go out there! McGrath! Don't listen for God's sake. The siren is a-calling. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT McGRATH runs onto the deck, tripping on coiled rope. INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT The CAPTAIN locks the cabin door. He then takes a pendant from his neck and wraps the leather strap around the door handles. On one side of the pendant is a carved relief of a mermaid. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT McGRATH holds his knife in one hand, ready to strike. He uses his other hand to try and block out the singing. INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT The others hear his scream as the pendant slowly swings at the lock. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT The other pirates come out on deck. There is no sign of McGrath, only his pistol. CAPTAIN: (picks up pistol) Same as all the others. No sign of a struggle. No bones or blood. PIRATE 1: We're shark bait, every single one of us. Stuck on the ocean, waiting until the wind changes. There is a banging from one of the hatches. CAPTAIN: What's that? PIRATE 1: The creature, it's returned. The pirates approach cautiously, the CAPTAIN aims the pistol. The hatch bursts open to reveal the DOCTOR, RORY and AMY. DOCTOR: Yo ho ho! Or does nobody actually say that? [SCENE_BREAK] Matt Smith Karen Gillan Arthur Darvil "The Curse of the Black Spot" by Steve Thompson Producer Marcus Wilson Director Jeremy Webb [SCENE_BREAK] INT. SHIP, HOLD, NIGHT The TARDIS rests among the storage. INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT The CAPTAIN is questioning the presence of strangers on his ship. CAPTAIN: We made no signal. DOCTOR: Our sensors picked you up. Ship in distress. CAPTAIN: Sensors? DOCTOR: Yes. OK. Problem word. Seventeenth century. My ship automatically, er..noticed-ish... that your ship was having some bother. CAPTAIN: That big blue crate!? The DOCTOR snaps his fingers. PIRATE 1: Tis more magic, Captain Avery. They're spirits. How else would they have found their way below decks? DOCTOR: Well, I want to say multidimensional engineering, but since you had a problem with sensors I won't go there. Look, I'm the Doctor, this is Amy, Rory. We're pirates, same as you. Arghhhhh! The DOCTOR turns to look at the pirates behind them and when he turns around, AVERY has a pistol aimed at his head. DOCTOR: Except for the gun thing. And the beardiness. AVERY: You're stowaways! Only explanation. Eight days, we've been stranded here. Becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed. PIRATE 1: What do we do with 'em? AVERY: Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT The DOCTOR is standing at the edge of a plank jutting over the side of the ship. The pirates laugh. DOCTOR: I suppose that laughing like that is in the job description. "Can you do the laugh?" Check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard. AVERY: Stocks are low. Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need three more empty bellies to fill. Take the doxy below to the galley. Set her to work. She won't need much feeding. One of the pirates "escorts" AMY to the stairs that lead below-decks. AMY: Rory, a little help? RORY is being restrained by another pirate. RORY: Hey, listen right. She's not a doxy. AMY: I didn't mean just tell him off. Thanks anyway. The pirate forces her below. AVERY: If you're lucky you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite. DOCTOR: If this is just because I'm a captain too, you shouldn't feel threatened. Your ship is much bigger than mine. And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even. AVERY: (aims pistol) Time to go. DOCTOR: A Bit more laughter, guys? (motions with hand) INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT AMY opens a chest and finds it filled with swords. She takes one out and as she's testing the feel of it in her hand, she sees a long coat and a tricorne hanging on a peg. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT DOCTOR: Where are the rest of the crew? This is a big ship. Big for five of you. I s'pose the rest of them are hiding some place (holds his nose) and they're going to jump out and shout "boo". AMY: Boo! The men turn around to see AMY wearing the coat and hat, sword pointed at AVERY's throat. AMY: Throw the gun down. AVERY drops the gun to the deck and AMY kicks it away. AMY: The rest of you, on your knees. DOCTOR: Amy? What are you doing? AMY: Saving your life. OK with that, are you? AVERY: Put down the sword. A sword could kill us all, girl. AMY: Yep, thanks. That is actually why I'm pointing it at you. One of the pirates comes at AMY with a wooden handle, surprising her and forcing her back from AVERY. When the DOCTOR tries to intercede, AVERY pushes him back into the rigging. When AMY advances on the pirates with the sword, they back away, gasping in fear. AMY shows off a little, swishing the sword through the air. The pirates take advantage and push forward again. AMY fights them off. One advances on her with a rope, backing her into a corner. AMY swings through the air on a piece of rigging, swing her sword. She cuts one of them as she passes before landing on a barrel. PIRATE 3: You have killed me. AMY: No way. It's just a cut. A black spot appears on PIRATE 3's hand. AMY: What kind of rubbish pirates are you? AVERY: One drop, that's all it takes. One drop of blood and she will rise out of the ocean. AMY: Come on. I barely even scratched him. What are you all in such a huff about? One of the pirates approaches her and she swings out on the rope. He stops her and the sword flies from her hand. RORY tries to catch it, but cuts his hand. A black spot appears on his palm. RORY: Doctor? What's happening to me? AVERY: She can smell the blood on your skin. She's marked you for death. RORY: She? AVERY: A demon, out there in the ocean. DOCTOR: OK. Groovy. So not just pirates today. We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in. (looks at RORY'S hand) Very efficient. I mean if something's going to kill you, it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you. The SIREN'S song starts again. PIRATE 1: Quickly now. Block out the sound. The others put their hands over their ears. RORY: What? AVERY: The creature. She charms all her victims with that song. RORY: Oh, great, so put my fingers in my ears. That's your plan? Doctor, come on let's go lets get back to the...back to the... (starts acting dopey and giggles) PIRATE 1: The music. It's working on him. Look. RORY: (to AMY) You are so beautiful. AMY: What? RORY: I love your get up. That's great. You should dress as a pirate more often. Cuddle me, shipmate. AMY: Rory, stop. RORY: Everything is totally brilliant isn't it? Look at these brilliant pirates. Look at their brilliant beards. I'd like a beard. I'm going to grow a beard. AMY: You're not. AVERY: The music turns them into fools. RORY and the other wounded pirate continue to act like they're drunk or high. AMY: Oh, my God. Off the starboard side of the ship, a section of the water glows green. Everyone watches and soon a woman rises from the water. She, too, glows green. RORY'S jaw drops at the sight of her. AMY grabs his arm and holds him back as the SIREN floats down to the deck. PIRATE 3 walks towards her and the others half-heartedly grab for him as they, too, are entranced. The SIREN has her arm outstretched and PIRATE 3 reaches for her hand. Still held back by AMY, RORY reaches for her. As soon as PIRATE 3's hand touches the SIREN, his body is dispersed. RORY breaks free of AMY. RORY: I have to touch her. Let me touch her. AMY pushes her way past RORY and faces the SIREN. AMY: Sorry, but he is spoken for. The SIREN hisses and turns red. She sends AMY flying backwards to land on the deck. DOCTOR: (goes to AMY) Amy! Everybody into the hold. The pirates head to the hold. RORY stands there, still entranced. DOCTOR: Rory! The DOCTOR makes sure AMY is safe before grabbing RORY. RORY: Hey! INT. SHIP, HOLD, NIGHT They make their way down into the hold, splashing through the gathered water. AMY: What is that thing? AVERY: The legend. The siren. Many a merchant ship, laden with treasure has fallen prey to her. She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed. Picking off the injured. PIRATE 1: Like a shark. A shark can smell blood. DOCTOR: OK. Just like a shark. In a dress. And singing. And green. A green singing shark in an evening gown. AVERY: The ship is cursed. DOCTOR: Yeah right. 'Cursed' is big with humans. Means bad things are happening but you can't be bothered to find an explanation. RORY: She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. AMY: Actually I think you'll find she isn't. We have to leave. Right now. AVERY: That thing of yours really is a ship? DOCTOR: Well, it's not propelled by the wind. AVERY: Show me. Weigh anchor. Make it sail! (pulls gun) DOCTOR: And the gun's back. You're big on the gun thing aren't you? Freud would say you're compensating. Have you ever met Freud? No? Comfy sofa. PIRATE 4: Leave the cursed one, Captain. The creature can have him. RORY: Yes, please. AVERY: We don't want the siren coming after us. The pirates cry out and one lifts his leg from the water. There's something on it. AMY: It's a leech! DOCTOR: Everyone out of the water! Everyone climbs out of the water onto the crates. PIRATE 4 pulls the leech from his leg. PIRATE 4: It's bitten me, I'm bleeding. (the spot appears) DOCTOR: She wants blood. Why does she want blood? AMY: What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind? DOCTOR: It's OK. We're safe down here. No 'curse' is getting through three solid inches of timber. The SIREN appears behind the DOCTOR and begins to sing. DOCTOR: Ah. Hello again. AMY holds back RORY but PIRATE 4 walks forward. AVERY & DOCTOR: No! No! No! PIRATE 4 touches the SIREN'S hand and disappears. His hat falls to the floor. Everyone rushes from the hold, the DOCTOR pushing RORY, PIRATE 4's hat in hand. INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT The DOCTOR bolts the door behind him. AMY: Safe? DOCTOR: I have my good days and my bad days. AVERY: How did she get in? DOCTOR: (uses sonic on hat) The bilge water - she's using water like a portal, a door. She can materialise through a single drop. We need to go somewhere with no water. AMY: Well, thank God we're not in the middle of the ocean. The DOCTOR puts on the hat. RORY: Did you see her eyes? Like crystal pools. AMY: You are in enough trouble. AVERY: The magazine! AMY: What? DOCTOR: He means the armoury where the powder's stored. AVERY: It's dry as a bone. DOCTOR: Good let's go, there. AVERY: (pulls gun) I give the orders. DOCTOR: Ah. Worried because I'm wearing a hat now?! (heads for the magazine) Nobody touch anything sharp! AMY: Come on Rory. (pulls him by the arm) In another section below-deck, PIRATE 1 takes out a ring of keys to open a locked door. AVERY: Quickly, man. PIRATE 1: The key, 'tis gone, Cap'n. AVERY: How can it have gone? DOCTOR: (pushes the door open) Someone else had the same idea. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT They enter the room cautiously. The room is empty. AVERY: Barricade the door. Careful of that lantern! Every barrel is full of powder. DOCTOR: Who's been sleeping in my gun room? AVERY hears a muffled coughing and removes the lid of one of the barrels. He reaches a hand in a pulls out a young boy. AVERY: You fool. You fool, boy. What are you doing here? PIRATE 1: Who is he? DOCTOR: What, he's not one of the crew? AVERY: No. He's my son. A few moments later, the BOY is sitting on a bench, AVERY next to him. Everyone else stands and looks on. AVERY: What in God's name possessed you, boy? Your mother will be searching for you. (the BOY looks down) When? BOY: Last winter. Fever. She told me all about you. How you were a Captain in the Navy. An honourable man, she said. How I would be proud to know you. (coughs) I've come to join your crew. AVERY: I don't want you here. BOY: You can't send me back. It's too late. We're a hundred miles from home. AVERY: It's dangerous here. There's a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin. BOY: The black spot? The BOY shows the palm of his hand. There's a black spot. AVERY grabs his son's hand. The BOY coughs. A little later, AMY, the DOCTOR and RORY are sitting while the pirates stand. RORY rubs the spot on his palm. AVERY: There's nothing wrong with the boy. He has no scars. DOCTOR: Yep. Ignore my last theory. AMY: He has his good days and his bad days. DOCTOR: It's not just blood. She's coming for all the sick and wounded. Like a hunter chooses the weakest animal. AMY: OK, look He's got a fever. DOCTOR: The siren knows it. Humans. second-rate. Damage too easily. It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised. My ship. it can sail us all away from here. You and me, we fetch it. Let's go. (stands) AVERY: (pulls out pistol) You're not the Captain here, remember? The BOY opens one of the barrels to reveal water. The SIREN reaches through with her arms. The DOCTOR forces the lid back on. AVERY: The water's dangerous. That's how she gets through. One touch of her hand and you're a dead man! PIRATE 1: We're all cursed if we stay aboard! DOCTOR: It's not a curse. Curse means game over. Curse means we're helpless. We are not helpless! Captain, what's our next move? AVERY drapes the pendant around the BOY'S neck. AVERY: Wait with the boy. PIRATE 1: Captain we're all in danger here. AVERY: I said wait, and barricade the door after we've gone. AMY: Sure you want to go? DOCTOR: We have to get Rory and Toby away. She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling a saucepan, grating cheese. AMY: OK, well remember, if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard. DOCTOR: We've all got to go some time. AMY and RORY exchange a look, remembering what they saw in Utah. DOCTOR: There are worse ways than having your face snogged off by a dodgy mermaid. (pats RORY on the shoulder) INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT The DOCTOR and AVERY step out of the room and AVERY puts his gun away. AVERY: D'you want to draw lots for who's in charge, then? DOCTOR: Darkness. Demon. You can have first go. (pats AVERY on the chest) They make their way back to the hold. AVERY slips and nearly puts his hand down on an exposed nail. The DOCTOR grabs his hand just in time. DOCTOR: Nearly. Phew! INT. TARDIS The DOCTOR runs up to the console while AVERY stands just inside the door. AVERY: By all the... (walks slowly to the console) DOCTOR: Let me stop you there. Bigger on the inside. Don't mind, do you, if we just skip to the end of that moment? Oh, and sorry I lied by the way, when I said yours was bigger. Kitchen that way. Choice of bathrooms - there, there, there. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT TOBY sits on the floor, coughing. AMY looks at him. RORY: What's wrong? AMY: The most beautiful thing you've ever seen. RORY: Oh, tell me I didn't really say that. AMY notices the two pirates removing the barrels blocking the door. AMY: What's going on? PIRATE 1: We're not staying here to mollycoddle the boy. The Captain's gone soft, it's time for us to leave. INT. TARDIS The DOCTOR is typing on the console when AVERY starts pointing and touching controls. AVERY: What's this do? DOCTOR: (pointing) That does very very complicated. That does sophisticated, that does whoa, amazing, and that does whizz bang far too technical to explain! AVERY: Wheel? DOCTOR: Atom accelerator. AVERY: It steers the thing. DOCTOR: No...Sort of...Yes. AVERY: Wheel. Telescope. Astrolabe. Compass. A ship's a ship. Oh... INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT TOBY gets up. TOBY: He told you to wait, you dog. He's your Captain, a Naval Officer. You're honour-bound to do as he tells you. PIRATE 1: 'Honour-bound'? Do you know what kind of ship this is? Do you know what your father does? AMY puts her arms about TOBY'S shoulders. AMY: Don't listen to him, Toby. PIRATE 1: We sail under the black flag. The Jolly Roger. TOBY: Liar!(lunges) He's no wicked pirate! PIRATE 1: Oh, you think so? I've seen your father gun down a thousand innocent men. INT. TARDIS DOCTOR: This is how the professionals do it. The DOCTOR sets the TARDIS in motion. Its machinery groans and goes nowhere. DOCTOR: It's stuck. Not responding. AVERY: Becalmed? DOCTOR: Mm-hm. Apparently. That's new. You had to gloat, didn't you? AVERY: I'm not gloating. DOCTOR: I saw that look just now. Ha-ha his ship is rubbish. AVERY: True. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT PIRATE 1: (to PIRATE 5) Get what treasure you can I'll meet you in the row boat. TOBY comes forward, a sword pointed at PIRATE 1. TOBY: You're going to remain at your post. PIRATE 1: I am not playing games with you boy, you put that down. TOBY: One more step and I'll use this, you blaggard. PIRATE 1: You don't know how to fight with a cutlass, boy. TOBY: Don't need to, do I? TOBY lunges forward and cuts PIRATE 1 on the hand. PIRATE 1: Ah! (breathes heavily) No... INT. TARDIS The DOCTOR checks the controls. DOCTOR: It can't get a lock on the plane. AVERY: The what? DOCTOR: The space we travel in. The... ocean. Sort of ocean but not water. The TARDIS can't see. It's sulking because it thinks the space doesn't exist. Without a plane to lock onto we're not going anywhere. AVERY: I'm confused. DOCTOR: It's a big club. We should get T-shirts. There is an explosion and rumblings. DOCTOR: What's happening? INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT PIRATE 1: (turns his palm over to reveal the spot) You little swabber! AMY: Congratulations. Made it to the menu. Probably shouldn't go out there now. PIRATE 1: (pulls pistol) You scurvy ape. RORY: Don't shoot! The powder will blow and kill us all. PIRATE 2 takes the key ring from PIRATE 1's belt. PIRATE 1: Mulligan, what are you doing? MULLIGAN leaves. AMY: No honour among pirates. PIRATE 1 lowers his gun and begins to pile the barrels back in front of the door. INT. TARDIS The DOCTOR frantically works the controls. DOCTOR: OK. She's had her little sulk. Now she's heading for the full-on screaming tantrum. AVERY: Can you fix it? DOCTOR: The parametric engines are jammed. Orthogonal vector's gone. I'm almost out of ideas. AVERY: Almost? DOCTOR: Well, we could try stroking her and singing her a song. AVERY: Will that help? DOCTOR: Hard to say, never has before. The DOCTOR flips a switch in the hopes of regaining control but it doesn't work. The TARDIS rocks. DOCTOR: Argh! I've lost control of her, she's about to dematerialise we could end up anywhere! AVERY: That sounds bad. DOCTOR: Yes, it is! Out! Now! Abandon ship! ABANDON SHIP! The DOCTOR grabs AVERY and pushes him out the door as the console begins to explode, shooting sparks. INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT The DOCTOR and AVERY run out of the TARDIS and as far from her as possible in the cramped space. They turn around to see the TARDIS enveloped in a green light as it disappears. DOCTOR: OK, OK, OK. TARDIS runs off on its own. That's a bit of a new one. Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here. AVERY: Not much of a Captain without a ship, are you? The DOCTOR and AVERY head back to the magazine and are stopped by MULLIGAN who holds two pistols on them. He also carries treasure, a crown around his arm. AVERY: Mulligan? What are you doing? This is mutiny. MULLIGAN: She doesn't want me. She only wants Toby and the scrawny looking fellow. (runs off) DOCTOR: He's got the last of the supplies. We should go after him. AVERY: Never mind the damned supplies. What about my treasure? AVERY and the DOCTOR follow MULLIGAN. MULLIGAN fires but they take cover. DOCTOR: Don't get injured. Don't get injured. INT. SHIP, STOREROOM, NIGHT They chase MULLIGAN back to the hold. He locks the door behind him. Using flint, he lights a fire in a small hand-held paddle. drops it when the flames burn his hand. AVERY: (through door) Come out of there you mutinous dog! MULLIGAN burns his hand and drops the paddle, leaving him in darkness. MULLIGAN: Ow! INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT As the DOCTOR is using the sonic on the lock, they hear the SIREN singing. The DOCTOR and AVERY begin checking each other for injury. The look to the door and see green light through the cracks. DOCTOR: She's inside. AVERY: She's come for Mulligan. MULLIGAN screams. The DOCTOR finally opens the door. [SCENE_BREAK] INT. SHIP, STOREROOM, NIGHT They enter the room and find it empty. The DOCTOR scans the room with the sonic. AVERY grabs the crown. AVERY: No water in here. How did she take him? You said she uses water like a door. That's how she enters a room. The DOCTOR looks at the highly-polished crown. DOCTOR: I was wrong. Please ignore all my theories up to this point. AVERY: What, again!? DOCTOR: We're all in danger. The water's not how she's getting in. When we were down in the hold, think what happened. You, me, Amy, Rory, leeches. AVERY: She sprang from the water. DOCTOR: Yes, only when it grew still! Still water. Nature's mirror. AVERY: So... You mean? DOCTOR: Yes. Not water... Reflection. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT Sitting on the floor, TOBY takes the pendant from around his neck and begins to rub it. INT. SHIP, STOREROOM, NIGHT DOCTOR: The siren legend. The curse. AVERY: You said curses weren't real. DOCTOR: Folklore springs from truth. She attacks ships filled with treasure. Where else do you get a perfect reflection? AVERY: Polished metal. DOCTOR: Hmm. The DOCTOR puts the crown away in a bag as AVERY automatically reaches for the pendant. It's not there. AVERY: We must warn them. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT TOBY is now using a cloth to polish the metal. INT. SHIP, BELOW-DECKS, NIGHT The DOCTOR and AVERY hurry back to the magazine. They reach the door. DOCTOR: Amy! INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT DOCTOR: (through door) Open the door! AVERY: (through door) Toby open the door! AMY and RORY remove the barrels. AVERY: (through door) Toby! DOCTOR: (through door) Open the door! AVERY: (through door) Toby! AMY and RORY open the door and the DOCTOR pushes his way through, grabs the pendant from TOBY and begins breathing heavily on it to fog the surface. AMY and RORY just stare at him. He gives a thumbs-up and AVERY relaxes. The DOCTOR then runs out the door. INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT Using the butt of a rifle, the DOCTOR begins to smash the small panes of glass that make up the aft window. DOCTOR: We've got to destroy every reflection. Gold, silver, glass. She could spring from any of them. (smashes mirror) Oh, yes, yes, I know I know. Very bad luck to break it. But look at it this way, there's a stroppy homicidal mermaid trying to kill all. AVERY: How much worse can things get? DOCTOR: Yep. (looks at treasure) Help me lug this lot out. AVERY: Where are we taking it? DOCTOR: The ocean. AVERY: No. No! This is the treasure of the Mogul of India. DOCTOR: Oh, good. For a moment there I thought it was yours. AVERY: Doctor, wait. Must we do this? DOCTOR: Any reflection, any mirror, and the siren will attack. We have to protect Rory and Toby. Go and get the crown from the storeroom. AVERY leaves and the DOCTOR begins to throw the treasure out the broken window. INT. SHIP, STOREROOM, NIGHT With a sigh, AVERY takes the crown and leaves. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT A slight breeze moves the dangling shells and charms and the full moon shines down as the SIREN sings. INT. SHIP, MAGAZINE, NIGHT RORY: Just wait? DOCTOR: Not my most dynamic plan, I realise. AMY: TARDIS? DOCTOR: It's been towed. AMY: What? DOCTOR: Sorry. We might be stuck here for a while. RORY: So you're saying that we should all just wait here below? AVERY: The sea is still calm, like a mirror. If you go out on deck she'll rise up and attack you. DOCTOR: It's OK. The calm won't last forever. When the wind picks up we'll all set sail. AVERY: Until it does, you have to hide down here. LATER... AMY and RORY are asleep on the floor. AVERY goes to sit beside TOBY. AVERY: I'm sorry about your mother. You miss her a lot. TOBY: Three years. No word from you. AVERY: Toby... TOBY: You promised her. You promised you'd come home. And she believed you would, right up until the day she died. What made you do it? What made you... turn pirate? AVERY: Get some sleep now. In her half-sleep state, AMY hears a WOMAN'S voice. WOMAN: It's fine. You're doing fine. Just stay calm. AMY opens her eyes and sees the same woman with the eye-patch that she saw at the orphanage. The panel slides shut. AMY sits up but the panel has disappeared. EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT The DOCTOR is looking up at the stars when AVERY joins him. DOCTOR: It's not one star it's two. (points) The dog star. Sirius. Binary system. AVERY: I use it to navigate the ocean. DOCTOR: I've travelled far, like you. Space can be very lonely. The greatest adventure is having someone share it with you. AVERY: If we get out of this I'll take him back to England. He can't stay with me. I'm not the father he needs. DOCTOR: Who are you, Henry Avery? Respected naval officer, wife and child at home. How did you end up here, wandering the oceans with a band of rogues? AVERY: I've set my course now. Nothing I can do to alter it. DOCTOR: People stared at it for centuries and never knew. Things can suddenly change, when you're least expecting. (pats AVERY and leaves) INT. SHIP, CAPTAIN'S CABIN, NIGHT The DOCTOR is standing quietly in the middle of the room. AMY enters behind him. AMY: Doctor? DOCTOR: Sssh. AMY: What can you see? DOCTOR: Feels like something's out there, staring straight at me. There is a crash of thunder and the ship rocks. DOCTOR: Man the sails! (runs from the room) EXT. SHIP'S DECK, NIGHT It's raining hard. AVERY holds the rigging. AMY and RORY rush topside. AVERY: To the rigging, you dogs! Let go the sails. Avast ye! AMY and RORY head for the ropes holding the mainsail while AVERY works on the foresail. The DOCTOR is at the wheel. AVERY: Put the bunt into the slack of the clews. AMY: I swear he's making half this stuff up. RORY: What we really need is some sort of phrase book. AVERY: Toby! Find my coat. My compass is inside it, boy. (TOBY goes below) Heave ho you bilge rats. RORY: 'Rats' was all I could hear. TOBY comes back with AVERY'S coat and the crown rolls out along the deck. All they can do is watch. TOBY looks at his father, hurt by the proof that he's a pirate. The SIREN reaches through the reflection on the crown and shoots into the air above the ship. She sings and floats down to the deck, her hand reaching out for TOBY. AVERY: Don't let her take you! Enthralled, TOBY walks closer, his hand out. AVERY: No! TOBY touches the SIREN and disappears with a scream. AVERY: No! AMY holds back RORY as he tries to reach the SIREN. The DOCTOR sneaks behind her and throws the crown into the sea. The SIREN disappears. AVERY: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! DOCTOR: You couldn't give up the gold could you? That's why you turned pirate! Your commission, your wife, your son. Just how much is that treasure worth to you man? At that moment, the main yardarm swing around and knocks RORY into the churning water. AMY: Rory! Rory! (runs to the side) I can't see him. Doctor, I'm going in! DOCTOR: He's drowning. You go in after him you'll drown too. There's only one thing that can save him now. AMY: What are you talking about? DOCTOR: The siren. The siren, she wants him. We have to release her. (heads for the water barrel) AMY: Doctor, no. The DOCTOR removes the lid and releases the SIREN. DOCTOR: He's drowning. Go find him! The SIREN dives into the water. AMY: What did you do? DOCTOR: If he stays in there he'll die. AMY: She'll destroy him. DOCTOR: That thing isn't just some ravenous hunter! It's intelligent. We can reason with it. And maybe, just maybe, they're still alive somewhere. We have to follow. AVERY: Are you mad? DOCTOR: If we ever want to see them again, we have to let the siren take us. We'll prick our fingers. All agreed? (holds out a fist) Yeah? AVERY: Aye. AMY: Aye. DOCTOR: Aye! The DOCTOR pricks their fingers and the black spot appears. The SIREN appears and sings. They each reach out to her. There is a flash of light. INT. SPACESHIP, OBSERVATION, NIGHT They wake up on the floor. AMY: Where are we? DOCTOR: We haven't moved. We're in exactly the same place as before. They look out the window and see the pirate ship. AVERY: We're on a ghost ship. DOCTOR: No, it's real. Space ship trapped in a temporal rift. AMY: How can two ships be in the same place? DOCTOR: Not the same. Two planes, two worlds, two cars parked in the same space. There are lots of different universes nested inside each other. Now and again they collide and you can step from one to the other. AMY: OK, I think I understand. DOCTOR: Good. Cos it's not like that at all. But if that helps. AMY: Thanks. DOCTOR: All the reflections have suddenly become gateways. The DOCTOR picks up a piece of metal from the floor and throws it through the window. It passes through and lands on the deck DOCTOR: Ever look in a mirror and think you're seeing a whole other world? Well, this time it's not an illusion. They hear a low beeping and begin to explore. AMY: The signal. DOCTOR: Yes. AMY: The distress call. DOCTOR: Uh-huh. They climb the stairs that lead to the rest of the ship. AMY: There was a second ship here all the time. They hear the SIREN. DOCTOR: And the siren is on board. The DOCTOR unlocks the door and it slides open to reveal the desiccated body of pteradon-like alien. AVERY pulls out his gun but the DOCTOR pushes it away. DOCTOR: Dead. The DOCTOR walks past it followed by AMY and AVERY. INT. SPACESHIP, BRIDGE, NIGHT On the bridge, they see another alien still at the controls. The DOCTOR walks up to it. The view from the observation window was that of AVERY'S cabin. AMY: You were right, there was something staring at us the whole time. How long has this ship been marooned here? AVERY: Long enough for the Captain to have run out of grog. AMY: I don't understand. If this is the captain, then what's the siren? DOCTOR: Same as us. A stowaway. (uses the sonic to scan the body) AMY: She killed it? DOCTOR: (checks readings) Human bacteria. AMY: What? DOCTOR: A virus, from our planet. Airborne, travelling through the portal. (puts away sonic) That's what killed it. (leans on panel) Didn't get its jabs. (lifts his hand to show it covered in slime) Urghhh! Look. AMY: What is it? DOCTOR: Sneeze! Alien bogies. The DOCTOR shakes his hand, trying to get the slime off. He wipes it on AMY's coat as he walks past and out the room. INT. SPACESHIP, SICKBAY, NIGHT They enter the room and the DOCTOR immediately begins to scan with the sonic. Suspended from the ceiling are beds on which people are lying unconscious. They have breathing tubes attached to their throats. AVERY: McGrath! He's one of my men. AMY: He's still breathing. The DOCTOR finds what looks like rectangular "discs" holding information. AVERY: My entire crew is here. Toby! (runs to his son) AMY: Rory! (runs to her husband) DOCTOR: The TARDIS! (runs to the TARDIS and practically hugs it) AVERY: We have to get them out of here. DOCTOR: Wait! (scans) His fever's gone. (goes to RORY) AMY: He looks so well. DOCTOR: She's keeping him alive. His brain is still active but all its cellular activity is suspended. (turns over RORY'S palm to show the spot) It's not a curse. It's a tissue sample. (shows one of the "discs") Why get samples of people you are about to kill? AMY: Help me get him up. The DOCTOR reaches around to undo the tube. An alarm sounds and the SIREN sings. DOCTOR: She's coming. The three of them hide. The SIREN arrives and approaches RORY who is now awake. He tries to jerk away from her but calms down as she continues to sing. DOCTOR: Anaesthetic. AVERY: What? DOCTOR: The music. The song. So she anaesthetises people and then puts their bodies in stasis. The SIREN moves to TOBY, her hand resting just above him. AVERY steps out from hiding, gun out. DOCTOR: (whispers) Avery. (shouts) No! AVERY fires at the SIREN. She turns on him, red and angry. She hisses and advances on AVERY. The DOCTOR runs to another part of the room to drawn her attention. The DOCTOR sneezes and the SIREN stops advancing on AVERY and turns to the DOCTOR, fire between her hands. DOCTOR: Whoa. Fire! That's new. What does fire do? Burn? Yes. Destroy? What else? Sterilise! I sneezed. I've brought germs in. The DOCTOR pulls out a handkerchief and blows his nose then throws the cloth to the floor. The SIREN shoots flames at the handkerchief, destroying it. With the distraction, AMY goes to RORY. The SIREN moves slowly towards AMY. DOCTOR: Amy stop. Don't interfere. Don't touch him. Anaesthetic, tissue sample, screen, sterile working conditions. Ignore all my previous theories! AMY: Yeah, well we stopped paying attention a while back. DOCTOR: She's not a killer at all. She's a doctor! AMY steps back from RORY'S bed and the SIREN resumes her green glow. DOCTOR: This is an automated sick bay. It's teleporting everyone on board. The crew are dead and so the sick bay has had nothing to do. It's been looking after humanity whilst it's been idle. Look at her. A virtual doctor! Able to sterilise a whole room. AMY: Able to burn your face off. DOCTOR: She's just an interface. Seeped through the join between the planes. Broadcast in our world. Protean circuitry means she can change her form And become a human doctor for humans. Oh, sister you are good! AMY reaches for RORY again and the SIREN turns red and hisses until AMY backs away. AVERY stands by TOBY. AVERY: She won't let us take them. DOCTOR: She's keeping them alive but she doesn't know how to heal them. AMY: I'm his wife for God's sake! Why can't I touch him? DOCTOR: Tell her Amy. Show her your ring. (grabs AMY'S left hand) She may be virtual but she's intelligent. You can't do anything without her consent. Come on! Sophisticated girl like you, that must be somewhere in your core program. AMY: Look He's very ill! OK, I just want to look after him. Why won't you let me near my husband!? The SIREN holds out her left hand and a ring of light appears around it. DOCTOR: Consent form. Sign it. Put your hand in the light. Rory's sick. You have to take full responsibility. AMY puts her hand through the ring and the SIREN disappears. AMY and the DOCTOR rush to free RORY. AMY turns off the power and RORY jerks and gasps. DOCTOR: He can't breathe, turn it back on. AMY: (turns it back on) What do we do? I can't just leave him here. AVERY: He'll die if you take him out. AMY strokes RORY'S face. AMY: Rory? Wake up. RORY: Where am I? DOCTOR: You're in a hospital. If you leave you might die. AMY: But if you don't you'll have to stay forever. RORY: You're saying that if I don't get up now... AMY: You can never leave. DOCTOR: The siren will keep you safe. RORY: And if I come with you? DOCTOR: Drowning, on the point of death. RORY: I'm a nurse. AMY: What? RORY: I can teach you how to save me. AMY: Hold on. RORY: I was drowning. You just have to resuscitate me. AMY: Just? RORY: You've seen them do it loads of times in films. CPR. The kiss of life. AMY: Rory, this isn't a film, ok. What if I do it wrong? RORY: You won't. AMY: OK, what if you don't come back to life? What if...? RORY: I trust you. AMY: What about him? I mean why do I have to be the one? Why do I have to save you? RORY: Because I know you'll never give up. AMY nods. The DOCTOR walks over to AVERY. DOCTOR: We have to send this ship back into space. Imagine if the siren got ashore. She would have to process every injured human. AVERY: What about Toby? DOCTOR: I'm sorry. Typhoid fever. Once he returns it's only a matter of time. AVERY: What if I stay with him? Here. The siren will look after him. I can't go back to England. And what home does he have now, if not with me? DOCTOR: Do you think you can sail this thing? AVERY: Just point me to the atom accelerator. The DOCTOR smiles and pats AVERY on the back before going back to AMY and RORY. RORY: I know you can do this. Of course if you muck it up I am going to be really cross. And dead. AMY: I'll see you in a minute. AMY looks at the DOCTOR who nods and the two of them hurry to unhook RORY from the life support. He gasps for air. Together, the DOCTOR and AMY carry him to the TARDIS. INT. TARDIS They set RORY on the floor just inside the door and AMY starts CPR. DOCTOR: Come on, come on Rory. Not here. Not this way. Not today. AMY: He trusted me he trusted me to save him. DOCTOR: You still can. You can still do this. He believes in you. Come on, Amy. Come on! AMY presses harder on the compressions. AMY: Please, please, please wake up, wake up, wake up. AMY sobs and she and the DOCTOR sit back from RORY'S prone body. The DOCTOR reaches a comforting hand over to rest on her back. RORY starts to sputter and cough up water. The DOCTOR stands and looks down at the couple in amazement. RORY: Amy. Amy, you did it, you did it! (hugs her as she sobs) INT. SPACESHIP, BRIDGE, NIGHT AVERY and TOBY sit at the controls. TOBY still has the medical tube attached. Father and son smile at each other and the other five pirates walk in behind them. They head into space, steering by Sirius. INT. TARDIS AMY and RORY head up the stairs from the console. AMY: I thought I was an excellent pirate. RORY: I thought you were an excellent nurse. AMY: Easy tiger. (turns to look at the DOCTOR) Goodnight, Doctor. DOCTOR: Goodnight, Amelia. AMY: You only call me Amelia when you're worrying about me. DOCTOR: I always worry about you. AMY flashes on the DOCTOR's death. AMY: Mutual. DOCTOR: Go to bed, Pond. RORY: (whispers) You can't tell him. It's his future. They look at the DOCTOR as he fiddles with the monitor. AMY: I know. The couple goes upstairs. The DOCTOR looks at the monitor. The TARDIS is still confused over AMY'S pregnancy scan. DOCTOR: Oh, Amelia.
Curse of the Black Spot