Doctor Prioritizes Machine Over Master
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Doctor declines to join the Brigadier, stating his intention to find a way to destroy the Keller Machine instead; the Brigadier agrees to focus on capturing the Master. Meanwhile, the Keller machine escapes from its control collar, using its power to break containment.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Self-assured and slightly impatient, bordering on arrogance. He is eager to conclude the operation and move on to the next phase, underestimating the Doctor’s concerns and the Master’s capabilities.
The Brigadier stands with military posture, his demeanor confident and authoritative as he delegates authority to Benton and outlines UNIT’s plan to move on the Master. He speaks with a tone of finality, as if the situation is already resolved. His interaction with the Doctor is brief and dismissive, reflecting his belief that the Master is contained and the immediate threat has passed. He is physically present in the Governor’s Office, moving toward the door as he prepares to join Major Cosworth at Mobile HQ.
- • To delegate authority to Benton as Acting Governor, ensuring the prison remains secure and operational in his absence.
- • To coordinate with Major Cosworth to surround the hangar and capture or neutralize the Master, believing the threat is contained and the operation is a formality.
- • The Master is a contained threat, and UNIT’s tactical superiority will ensure his capture without significant difficulty.
- • The Doctor’s concerns about the Master are overstated and rooted in his tendency to overcomplicate situations, rather than a realistic assessment of the threat.
The Keller Machine does not have emotions, but its actions convey a sense of relentless, destructive energy. It is driven by its programming to feed on evil impulses, and its escape represents a culmination of this predatory nature.
The Keller Machine is not physically present in the Governor’s Office but is described as burning through its control collar in the Process Theatre. The text details its violent escape: furniture flies, the power box and mains junction box explode, and the collar breaks apart before the Machine vanishes. This event is described in parentheses, emphasizing its simultaneous occurrence with the Doctor and Brigadier’s conversation. The Machine’s escape is a critical turning point, foreshadowing the chaos to come and directly contrasting with the Brigadier’s confidence.
- • To break free from its restraints and unleash its destructive potential, feeding on the evil impulses around it.
- • To escape the Process Theatre and wreak havoc, exploiting the chaos created by its release.
- • Its containment is temporary, and it will eventually break free to pursue its programmed purpose.
- • The environment around it is ripe with evil impulses that it can exploit to sustain and amplify its power.
Smug and triumphant, relishing the chaos he is about to unleash. He is fully aware of the Brigadier’s underestimation of him and is likely deriving satisfaction from the Doctor’s distraction with the Keller Machine, which plays into his plans.
The Master is not physically present in the Governor’s Office during this event but is referenced as making 'final adjustments to the Thunderbolt 2 control panel' in the hangar office. His actions are described as foreshadowing the escalation of the threat, including the nerve gas missile and his eventual escape. His presence is felt through the Doctor’s warnings and the Brigadier’s confidence, creating a sense of looming danger. The Master’s calculating nature is implied through his off-screen actions, which contrast sharply with the Brigadier’s dismissive attitude.
- • To finalize preparations for the launch of the nerve gas missile, ensuring that UNIT’s efforts to stop him are too late.
- • To exploit the Doctor’s divided attention and the Brigadier’s overconfidence, creating an environment where his escape and the missile launch can proceed unimpeded.
- • The Brigadier and UNIT are predictable and can be outmaneuvered through a combination of misdirection and technical superiority.
- • The Doctor’s moral constraints and scientific focus will ultimately work against him, allowing the Master to achieve his goals.
Anxious but determined, with a hint of frustration at the Brigadier’s dismissive confidence. His internal conflict is palpable—he knows the Master is a threat, but the Keller Machine’s escalating danger demands his immediate attention.
The Doctor stands slightly apart from the Brigadier, his attention divided between the conversation and his internal calculations about the Keller Machine. He mutters to himself about increasing the voltage in the Machine’s coil, his brow furrowed in concentration. His body language suggests distraction—leaning slightly away from the Brigadier, hands gesturing absently as he speaks. His warning about the Master’s nerve gas missile is delivered with urgency, but his focus quickly shifts back to the Machine, revealing his prioritization of the immediate scientific threat over the tactical one.
- • To find a way to destroy the Keller Machine by increasing the voltage in its control coil, thereby preventing its escape and the chaos it would unleash.
- • To warn the Brigadier not to underestimate the Master, ensuring UNIT does not become overconfident and drop its guard against the nerve gas missile threat.
- • The Keller Machine is an immediate and existential threat that must be neutralized before it escapes, as its rampage would be catastrophic and unpredictable.
- • The Brigadier’s military pragmatism is misplaced in this situation; the Master’s cunning and resources make him a persistent danger that cannot be 'mopped up' easily.
Professionally focused and slightly tense, aware of the responsibility now placed on his shoulders. He is not emotionally invested in the broader strategic concerns but is fully committed to executing his duties as Acting Governor.
Sergeant Benton sits in the Governor’s chair, having just been appointed Acting Governor by the Brigadier. He listens attentively to the Brigadier’s instructions, his posture straight and professional. His response is concise and deferential, acknowledging the Brigadier’s warning about not developing delusions of grandeur. He is physically present in the Governor’s Office, now in a position of temporary authority, but his role in this specific event is largely reactive—receiving orders and preparing to execute them.
- • To assume the role of Acting Governor and maintain order and security in Stangmoor Prison in the Brigadier’s absence.
- • To follow the Brigadier’s instructions precisely, ensuring that the prison remains a secure and functional asset for UNIT’s operations.
- • The Brigadier’s assessment of the situation is correct, and his orders should be followed without question.
- • His primary responsibility is to maintain operational efficiency and security, regardless of the broader strategic concerns raised by the Doctor.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Thunderbolt 2 nerve gas missile is referenced indirectly as the Master makes 'final adjustments' to its control panel in the hangar office. While not physically present in the Governor’s Office, its existence looms large over the conversation between the Doctor and the Brigadier. The Doctor’s warning about the missile—highlighting its potential to target any city in Europe—serves as a stark reminder of the Master’s capability to inflict widespread devastation. The missile’s role in this event is symbolic, representing the immediate and existential threat that UNIT is failing to fully grasp, despite the Brigadier’s confidence.
The Keller Machine’s control collar is described as burning out violently in the Process Theatre, marking the Machine’s escape. The collar, a glowing restraint device, strains against the Machine’s power before exploding in a shower of sparks, shattering into pieces. This event is described in parentheses, occurring simultaneously with the Doctor and Brigadier’s conversation in the Governor’s Office. The collar’s failure is a critical narrative beat, symbolizing the collapse of containment and the unleashing of a new, unpredictable threat. Its destruction foreshadows the chaos that will follow, as the Keller Machine’s rampage begins.
The power box outside the Process Theatre is described as detonating violently alongside the mains junction box, contributing to the Keller Machine’s escape. The explosion is part of a chain reaction: the Machine’s struggle against its control collar causes the power box to explode, which in turn triggers the destruction of the mains junction box. These explosions create a chaotic and destructive atmosphere, symbolizing the collapse of order and the unleashing of the Machine’s power. The power box’s destruction is a physical manifestation of the escalating crisis, reinforcing the idea that containment is no longer possible.
The Keller Machine’s voltage coil is referenced by the Doctor as a potential solution to destroy the Machine by increasing its power. The Doctor mutters about 'stepping up the voltage in that coil,' suggesting that overloading it could neutralize the threat. The coil represents a precise, scientific approach to the problem, contrasting with UNIT’s brute-force tactics. While the Doctor does not act on this idea in this event, the mention of the coil foreshadows a potential solution—and a moral dilemma—later in the story. Its role here is symbolic, highlighting the Doctor’s scientific mindset and his struggle to balance immediate threats (the Machine) with broader strategic concerns (the Master’s missile).
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Prison Governor’s Office serves as the command center for this event, where the Brigadier delegates authority to Benton and prepares to move on the Master. The office is cluttered with maps, radios, and other operational tools, reflecting the urgency and complexity of the situation. The Doctor and Brigadier’s conversation takes place here, underscoring the tension between military pragmatism and scientific caution. The office is a microcosm of the broader conflict: a space where decisions are made, but also where distractions and miscommunications can have catastrophic consequences. The atmosphere is one of controlled chaos, with the weight of the mission pressing down on those present.
The Hangar Office is referenced as the location where the Master makes 'final adjustments to the Thunderbolt 2 control panel.' While not the primary setting of this event, the hangar office is described as a tense and high-stakes environment, where the Master’s preparations are underway. The office is squeezed into a larger hangar, with harsh lights glaring off consoles and the hum of machinery in the background. It is a space of imminent danger, where the Master’s calculations and the Doctor’s potential intervention will soon collide. The mention of the hangar office in this event foreshadows the next act’s confrontation, where the nerve gas missile’s launch will be the focal point of the crisis.
UNIT Mobile HQ is referenced indirectly as the Brigadier mentions joining Major Cosworth there to coordinate the assault on the Master. While not the primary location of this event, Mobile HQ looms as the next stage in UNIT’s operations, symbolizing their mobile and adaptable command structure. The HQ is described as a rolling nerve center, where radios crackle with urgent chatter and consoles hum with activity. It represents the logistical backbone of UNIT’s efforts, where tactical decisions are executed and where the Brigadier will attempt to 'mop up' the Master. The mention of Mobile HQ in this event foreshadows the shift from planning to action, as well as the potential for things to go wrong in the field.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
UNIT is the dominant organizational force in this event, represented through the Brigadier’s delegation of authority to Benton, the mention of Major Cosworth’s cordon around the hangar, and the broader tactical preparations to move on the Master. UNIT’s involvement is characterized by its military pragmatism, confidence in its ability to contain threats, and a structured approach to command and control. The organization’s goals in this event are clear: to neutralize the Master, secure the nerve gas missile, and maintain operational dominance. However, UNIT’s approach is also flawed, as its dismissive attitude toward the Doctor’s warnings and its overconfidence in containing the Master set the stage for future failures. The organization’s influence is exerted through its chain of command, tactical planning, and resource allocation, but its rigid structure also contributes to its blind spots.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Doctor's decision to focus on the Keller Machine after it escaped leads directly to him discovering Barnham's ability to neutralize it. One directly follows the other."
Barnham neutralizes the Keller Machine"The Doctor's decision to focus on the Keller Machine after it escaped leads directly to him discovering Barnham's ability to neutralize it. One directly follows the other."
Doctor uses Barnham to neutralize the MachineKey Dialogue
"BRIGADIER: "I don't anticipate much trouble.""
"DOCTOR: "Well, don't forget he's got that rocket full of nerve gas. He can point it at any city in Europe.""
"BRIGADIER: "Don't worry, Doctor. He won't get the chance. You coming with me?""
"DOCTOR: "No, not for the moment. I've got to work out a way of destroying that machine of his.""