Doctor Who (TV Series)

The Keeper of Traken: Part One (1981)

Tom Baker: Doctor Who

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Quotes 

• The Doctor : What can we do for you, Keeper?

  The Keeper of Traken : Listen closely, Doctor. As you see, the passing ages have taken toll of me.

  The Doctor : Yes, yes, I know that feeling.

  The Keeper of Traken : But unlike you, my time of Dissolution is near, and the power entrusted to me is ebbing away.

  The Doctor : Oh, come on. It's still fairly impressive. I mean, I couldn't flit around the universe in an old chair like this.

  The Keeper of Traken : I have all the minds of the Union to draw on. I am only the organising principle. It is on that count I ask you to come to Traken.

  The Doctor : Right!

  The Keeper of Traken : Think carefully before you agree, there is great danger in this. For you and your young friend.

  The Doctor : How so, Keeper?

  The Keeper of Traken : I fear that our beloved world of Traken faces disaster.

  Adric : [whispers]  Universal harmony, you said.

  The Doctor : Shh.

  The Keeper of Traken : The Doctor does not exaggerate. Since the time of the Keepers, our Union has been the most harmonious the universe has ever seen. Does the boy not know of this?

  The Doctor : Oh, he's not local. E-Space wasn't it?

  [the Keeper disappears] 

  The Doctor : Where's he gone?

  The Keeper of Traken : [reappearing]  How vain one still can be? I thought the whole universe knew the history of our little Empire.

  The Doctor : Yes. They say the atmosphere there was so full of goodness that evil just shrivelled up and died. Maybe that's why I never went there.

  The Keeper of Traken : Rumor does not exaggerate, Doctor.

• [first lines] 

  Adric : So, this is N-Space?

  The Doctor : Yes, the old home universe. It's many times larger than anything you're used to.

  Adric : All those stars.

  The Doctor : Yes.

  Adric : Do you know them all?

  The Doctor : Well, just the interesting ones.

  Adric : How can you tell which is which?

  The Doctor : Well, law of probability, that sort of thing, you know. Anyway, we're supposed to be on our way back to Gallifrey.

  Adric : I don't see what the law of probability's got to do with it.

  The Doctor : No... what? Adric, I give you a privileged insight into the mystery of time, yes?

  Adric : Yes.

  The Doctor : Opened your mind to adventures beyond imagining, yes?

  Adric : Yes.

  The Doctor : And you criticize my logic?

  Adric : No. No, I'm just saying that a lot of the time you don't really make sense.

  The Doctor : Ah! Ah! Oh, you've noticed that, have you? Well, I mean, anyone can talk sense. As long as that's understood, you and I are going to get on splendidly.

• Adric : Then where are we?

  The Doctor : Metulla Orionsis, I'd say. Does that make sense?

  Adric : That's what it says here.

  The Doctor : Yes, that's an interesting planetary system.

  Adric : Traken, isn't it?

  The Doctor : Eh? You're beginning to get the hang of this console. Yes, Traken. "Traken Union. Famous for its universal harmony". A whole Empire held together by...

  Adric : By?

  The Doctor : Well, by people just being terribly nice to each other.

  Adric : Well, that makes a change.

  The Doctor : Yes.

• The Doctor : Now, what seems to be the problem?

  Adric : We've gone into orbit round one of the planets.

  The Doctor : I thought so.

  Adric : Thought what?

  The Doctor : I thought you might appreciate it if I gave you the impression I knew what was happening. We could panic of course, but where would that get us?

  Adric : What's happening?

  The Doctor : I don't know.

  Adric : Well, you should know!

  The Doctor : Adric.

  Adric : Well, you are a Time Lord, aren't you?

  The Doctor : Adric. If I knew everything that was going to happen, where would the fun be?

  [spotting the Keeper] 

  The Doctor : Hello.

  The Keeper of Traken : How do you do?

  The Doctor : It's alright, Adric.

  [points to the Keeper] 

  The Doctor : The Keeper Of Traken.

  The Keeper of Traken : Well-guessed, Doctor. The reports I hear of your intelligence are true, I see.

  The Doctor : Oh, well, it wasn't difficult to guess who'd taken possession of the TARDIS. There can't be many people in the universe with the capacity of just dropping in like this.

  Adric : Well, you could have told me.

  The Doctor : Shh-shh... Time reveals everything, Adric.

• Tremas : So who are you?

  The Doctor : I wondered when you were going to ask. You know, I hate to say this sort of thing, but Traken hospitality isn't what it used to be.

  Adric : He's called The Doctor and I'm Adric.

• The Keeper of Traken : Doctor, my time is close. I need your help.

  The Doctor : Anything I can do, Keeper.

  Adric : Goes for me, too.

  The Doctor : Shh. Well, we'll see. We'll see.

  The Keeper of Traken : I am fearful even to involve the Doctor. He will face unimaginable hazard. Confront power that would obliterate even a Time Lord. Even you, Doctor. Goodbye, my friend. Farewell.

  [he disappears] 

• Adric : Whatever's that?

  The Doctor : Knowledge. Accumulated wisdom of centuries.

  Adric : A gazetteer?

  The Doctor : Well, they're just a couple of my old time logs. Do you know, I really may have been to Traken. It's so difficult to keep track of.

  Adric : Well, I suppose it helps keeping a time log.

  The Doctor : Oh, yes. Mind you, I don't bother now, much too busy. Actually, this might not be the right volume. Here, take that and make yourself useful.

  Adric : What am I looking for?

  The Doctor : Well, you know, Traken, Keepers, all-pervading evil.

  Adric : Universal harmony?

  The Doctor : Yeah, anything along those lines.

• The Doctor : Ha, ha! Interesting stuff, isn't it?

  Adric : If I could understand it.

  The Doctor : What?

  Adric : Well, look, I read about something that's just happened.

  The Doctor : And?

  Adric : Well, the next page says it didn't happen at all.

  The Doctor : So?

  Adric : Over the page it says it did happen, but many years ago.

  The Doctor : Ah, yes. Well, I suppose it is a bit above your head. Mind you, they did say I had a very sophisticated prose style.

  Adric : As for your handwriting...

  The Doctor : Handwriting? What about my handwriting?

  Adric : It's marvellous.

• The Doctor : [to Adric as they're arrested]  Put your hands up in the air. Not like that, like that. I wonder what we've done this time.

  The Doctor : [to Neman]  You the welcoming committee?

• [last lines] 

  Consul Seron : Keeper of Traken, by unanimous consent, your consul summons you.

  Tremas : Keeper, we have strangers amoung us who claim they are known to you.

  Kassia : And dare to say they were summoned here to Traken at your request.

  The Keeper of Traken : Bring the strangers forward.

  The Doctor : Sorry to trouble you, Keeper, but we do seem to have a problem here. Please tell them who we are, will you?

  The Keeper of Traken : [seeing the Melkur]  Evil! The sanctum is invaded.

  The Doctor : Keeper, tell us.

  The Keeper of Traken : Consuls, we are invaded! Evil! Infinite evil!