From: rad@cix.compulink.co.uk (Cray Communications)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho
Subject: Summary: The Abominable Snowmen pt 4
Date: 8 Jan 1993 12:49:52 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: rad@cix.compulink.co.uk
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


WARNING: Spoilers for episode 4 20 lines ahead




















Episode 4
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Thomni, searching frantically for Victoria who's given him the slip, 
suddenly hears screaming coming from the Great Hall. When he gets 
there he finds that the "dead" Yeti is now very much alive and free 
from its various chains and ghost traps. Victoria runs off to get help 
while Thomni tries to hold the creature off, but to no avail, the Yeti 
seeming hardly interested in Thomni's futile attacks. It lumbers off 
towards the courtyard where Khrisong, informed by Victoria about the 
turn of events, is waiting with a posse of monks. A fight starts. The 
monks, however, have little chance against the Yeti and seeing this 
Victoria urges Thomni to open the gates to let it out. Khrisong orders 
Thomni not to do so but Thomni disobeys and the monster is allowed to 
escape.

Trudging up the mountain en route to the TARDIS the Dr and Jamie stop 
for a breather. The Dr is uneasy, everything's too quiet: "There's 
something happening on this mountain. I can feel it." Further up, by 
the cave which Jamie and Victoria had visited earlier, Travers 
crouches in hiding, waiting for what he hopes will be a real Yeti 
returning to its layer. Two Yeti do arrive: the ones that attacked 
Khrisong by the gate. One of them holds the recovered sphere in its 
giant paw. They enter the cave to deposit the sphere, then stride off 
back down the mountain.

Back in the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha is in a trance: "OH GREAT 
INTELLIGENCE. HAVE I SERVED YOU WELL ? AFTER SO MANY YEARS CAN I FEEL 
THE GRIP OF YOUR POWER LOOSEN ? HOW LONG BEFORE YOUR GREAT EXPERIMENT 
BEGINS AND I CAN REST ? [pause] SO SOON. I AM NOT SORRY. WHAT OF THE 
OTHERS ? [pause] IT WILL BE DONE. SONGTSEN IS MAKING FINAL 
PREPARATIONS !"

The Dr and Jamie reach the TARDIS only to find that a Yeti is standing 
guard outside it. The Dr speculates that this one is also switched 
off, or not receiving, like the other three that they passed a little 
earlier. To test his theory out, the Dr bungs a rock at it, and sure 
enough the Yeti does not react. Feeling more confident now, he goes up 
to it and removes the control unit from its chest with a screwdriver. 
Passing the sphere to Jamie the Dr enters the TARDIS.

Songtsen, with his escort of three Yeti, reach the cave where Travers 
is still observing secretly from behind a rock. Travers is amazed to 
see the Abbot, trance like, carrying a glowing pyramid, enter the cave 
with Yeti in attendance. Soon after, they all emerge and start off 
back down the mountain towards the monastery. Plucking up courage, 
Travers also enters the cave. Inside, Songtsen has rearranged the 
spheres into an intricate pattern with the pyramid at its centre. The 
whole construction gives out a sickly glow and an eerie, alien, hum. 
As Travers watches in dreadful fascination, the pyramid cracks open 
and a viscous sludge bubbles out and starts to spread around the cave 
floor. It seethes, it oozes, it reaches out towards the 
explorer and it looks very much alive. Half crazed by fear, Travers 
screams and runs out into the wilderness.

Back at the TARDIS, the Dr finally emerges with a signal tracing 
device which he intends to use on the Yeti's control units. As if on 
cue, the sphere in Jamie's hand begins to give off a loud beep and, 
alarmingly, to force itself towards the Yeti it was taken from. Panic 
ensues as the Dr intercepts the sphere with his body; it wrenches 
itself away from Jamie's grasp and thuds into the Dr's chest. Gasping 
for breath the Dr tells Jamie to stick a rock into the Yeti's cavity 
and, fortunately, when this has been done the sphere goes dormant once 
again. "Jamie, these things are programmed to return to their Yetis. 
That one that disappeared in the monastery: Travers didn't take it, it 
moved itself." Jamie finishes the Dr's train of thought: "It could 
have got to the Yeti - the one that we captured !" Unaware that the 
catastrophe they fear has already happened, the two hurry off towards 
the monastery.

In the aftermath of the battle at the monastery courtyard, Khrisong 
scolds Thomni for disobeying his orders. Victoria comes to his defence 
saying that opening the gates was her idea anyway. Rinchen is 
suspicious: "Was it also your idea to breathe life into the Yeti ?" 
Thomni now tries to defend Victoria and Rinchen accuses them of being 
in league together. "Where is your authority, Khrisong, that your 
warriors forget their allegiance ?" Angered, Khrisong orders that they 
both be locked away.

Halfway back to Detsen, the sphere in Jamie's hand begins to beep 
again. This time the Dr identifies that it's giving out a different 
signal and he starts to take readings. Further down the mountain, the 
three Yeti with Songtsen pause, as if listening, then turn around and 
start moving back up, leaving the Abbot to continue his return journey 
alone. The Dr now picks up an answering signal to the sphere and 
starts getting excited. Jamie doesn't share his enthusiasm: "While 
you're fiddling with that thing, this thing's calling up all the Yeti 
in creation !" As if to confirm his fears, the three Yeti arrive from 
below, blocking their progress further, two others arrive behind them, 
blocking their retreat !

Back in the courtyard, Khrisong meets up with Sapan and Rinchen. He 
wishes to see Songtsen but Rinchen informs him that the Abbot has not 
been seen for many hours and is doubtlessly seeking guidance from the 
master. Khrisong's faith is faltering. He criticises Songtsen as 
escaping his responsibilities and questions whether this Padmasambvha 
actually exists. When all three have gone there is a loud knocking at 
the gates. The sentry lets in the errant Abbot, and finds himself once 
more, under hypnotic influence, forgetting what he has seen.

When Songtsen reaches the Inner Sanctum, Padmasambvha has further 
instructions: "ALREADY THE 
GREAT INTELLIGENCE BEGINS TO TAKE ON MATERIAL FORM. BUT IT DEMANDS 
MORE, IT MUST EXPAND. THAT IS WHY YOU AND OUR BROTHERS MUST DEPART 
FROM THIS PLACE ... THE STRANGERS ? OH YES, I WILL TELL YOU HOW TO 
DEAL WITH THEM *IF* THEY RETURN"

And talking of which, the Dr and Jamie are in a pretty poor 
predicament. The Dr realises that the Yeti only want their sphere 
back. So he allows the three from below to get close and then rolls 
the sphere back up the path towards the other two. The three Yeti 
ignore the travellers and follow the signal from the sphere instead, 
allowing the Dr ("When I say run, run!") and Jamie to tear off down 
the mountain.

Victoria, meanwhile, is locked in the Dr's old cell with Thomni. 
Thomni is curious to find out about the three of them so Victoria 
tells him about the TARDIS, time travelling, and how the Dr would have 
come about the Ghanta three hundred years ago. The young monk takes 
all of this in his stride, believing the Dr to be a wonderfully 
enlightened super-monk like Padmasambvha. Victoria is rather more 
interested in escape. When, some minutes later, Rapalchan arrives with 
some food for them, she puts her plan into action. First she feigns 
that she's been poisoned, causing Rapalchan to run off to get help. 
Then, when Thomni's back is turned, she slips out of the cell and 
locks it, with Thomni still in it, behind her.

In the Great Hall Songtsen addresses all the monks and lamas telling 
them of Padmasambvha's decision that they should leave. This goes 
against the grain for Khrisong, "I have felt the strength of these 
Yeti ... but still I will not meekly turn away. I mean to fight !" 
Furthermore he explains that the Dr has returned with equipment to 
fight the Yeti, but Songtsen insists that the word of the master must 
be obeyed. Over in the courtyard, the Dr and Jamie are caught in the 
general confusion, some monks supporting Khrisong, some Songtsen. This 
confusion is added to when a dishevelled Travers arrives at the gates, 
mutters something about a pyramid in the mountain and then falls 
unconscious, and when news arrives that Victoria, the "devil girl", 
has escaped again. Songtsen blames the strangers for leading Khrisong 
astray and orders them all be 
locked up. The Dr, Jamie, Travers and Thomni, who is still under 
suspicion, find themselves in a cell, while a hunt takes place for 
Victoria.

Songtsen is concerned. He enters into a trance to speak with 
Padmasambvha: "Khrisong turns his warriors away from the path of 
obedience." A voice in his head replies: "I HEAR SONGTSEN AND I 
UNDERSTAND. WELL, IF THEY WILL NOT BE LED, THEN THEY MUST BE DRIVEN 
FROM THE MONASTERY." Songtsen receives his instructions. He goes to 
the gate and orders the sentry, the only other monk left in the 
courtyard, to join the search. Then the Abbot opens the gates wide - 
leaving the monastery defenceless.

Meanwhile, Victoria has reached the Anteroom again. Padmasambvha's 
voice calls out to her: "COME IN MY CHILD." She feels forced to obey 
as the great bronze doors swing open. "COME IN. YOU HAVE 
NO ALTERNATIVE."

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