Fabula
S3E17 · Volcano
S3E17
· Volcano

Daleks deploy time machine pursuit

The Daleks execute a coordinated temporal assault, launching their time machine from Kembel with Mavic Chen aboard as a reluctant enforcer. The Black Dalek orchestrates the operation, locking onto the TARDIS's 1966 London coordinates using a homing beam—revealing their ability to track the Doctor across time. This marks a critical escalation: the Daleks are no longer reactive but proactive, weaponizing their time technology to hunt the Doctor systematically. The scene underscores their ruthless efficiency and Chen's precarious position as a pawn in their genocidal scheme, while the TARDIS's location becomes the focal point of their relentless pursuit.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

The Dalek time machine, carrying a squad of Daleks and Mavic Chen, prepares to depart from Kembel for its mission to retrieve the taranium and eliminate the time travelers. The Black Dalek initiates the countdown, marking the launch of their pursuit.

anticipation to determination ['Kembel']

The Daleks pinpoint the TARDIS's location on Earth in London, 1966, and relay the coordinates to the task force. The Daleks prepare to use a homing beam to track the time travelers, escalating the pursuit and bringing them closer to confrontation.

focused intensity to heightened pursuit ['Earth', 'London', '1966']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4

Relentless, single-minded focus on the mission—no empathy, only the drive to exterminate the Doctor and secure Dalek dominance.

The Black Dalek dominates the scene from its imposing black casing, barking orders with absolute authority. It commands the countdown for the Dalek time machine's departure, directs the homing beam's activation, and ensures the task force locks onto the TARDIS's coordinates in 1966 London. Its voice is a guttural, commanding growl, reinforcing its role as the unquestioned leader of the Dalek forces. The Black Dalek's actions are a masterclass in ruthless efficiency, leaving no room for error or hesitation.

Goals in this moment
  • Deploy the Dalek time machine to hunt down and eliminate the TARDIS.
  • Ensure the homing beam locks onto the Doctor's coordinates to guarantee a successful pursuit.
Active beliefs
  • The Doctor is the greatest threat to Dalek supremacy and must be eradicated at all costs.
  • Time technology is the key to achieving absolute control over all civilizations.
Character traits
Authoritative Ruthlessly efficient Dominant Uncompromising
Follow Black Dalek …'s journey
Dalek 2
primary

Cold, unyielding efficiency—no hint of doubt or hesitation, fully aligned with Dalek operational protocol.

Dalek 2 stands rigidly in the Dalek Control Room, its eyestalk swiveling to monitor the TARDIS's movements. It reports the enemy ship's preparation to land with clinical precision, its voice grating and devoid of emotion. The Dalek's role is purely functional—verifying tactical data and relaying it to the Black Dalek without hesitation or deviation from protocol.

Goals in this moment
  • Ensure accurate threat assessment of the TARDIS's movements.
  • Relay critical tactical data to the Black Dalek without delay.
Active beliefs
  • The TARDIS is a direct threat to Dalek supremacy and must be eliminated.
  • Obedience to the Black Dalek is absolute and non-negotiable.
Character traits
Mechanically precise Obedient to hierarchy Emotionally detached Tactically focused
Follow Dalek 2's journey
Supporting 2

Fully aligned with Dalek objectives—no individual emotion, only the drive to execute the mission.

A generic Dalek soldier stands in the background, participating in the countdown and preparing for departure. Its role is purely operational—part of the task force being deployed to hunt the TARDIS. The Dalek's presence reinforces the Daleks' collective, hive-mind mentality, where individuality is subsumed by the greater goal of extermination. Its actions are synchronized with the Black Dalek's commands, embodying the Daleks' mechanical precision and unquestioning obedience.

Goals in this moment
  • Board the Dalek time machine and prepare for temporal pursuit of the TARDIS.
  • Follow the Black Dalek's orders without question or deviation.
Active beliefs
  • The TARDIS and its occupants are enemies of the Dalek Race and must be destroyed.
  • Obedience to the Black Dalek is the highest priority.
Character traits
Disciplined Collective-minded Mechanically efficient Obedient
Follow Dalek (Generic …'s journey
Mavic Chen
secondary

Cautiously tense—aware of his vulnerability as a human among Daleks, masking his anxiety with calculated compliance.

Mavic Chen is aboard the Dalek time machine as a reluctant enforcer, his presence implied but not directly shown in the control room. His role is passive yet fraught with tension—he is a pawn in the Daleks' scheme, forced to comply with their demands. While not speaking in this segment, his inclusion in the task force underscores his precarious position: he is both a collaborator and a potential traitor, caught between his ambition for galactic rule and the Daleks' genocidal ambitions.

Goals in this moment
  • Survive the Daleks' mission without drawing their wrath.
  • Find an opportunity to turn the situation to his advantage, potentially betraying the Daleks.
Active beliefs
  • The Daleks are a means to an end, but their genocidal tendencies make them unpredictable allies.
  • His own survival and ambition for power must take precedence over any moral reservations.
Character traits
Reluctant participant Strategic thinker Ambivalent ally Under pressure
Follow Mavic Chen's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Dalek Time Vessel

The Dalek time machine is the centerpiece of this event, serving as both a transport vessel and a weapon of temporal pursuit. It is fully prepared and ready to depart from Kembel, with a squad of Daleks and Mavic Chen aboard. The machine's activation marks the Daleks' shift from reactive defense to proactive offense, enabling them to hunt the Doctor across time. Its departure is signaled by the countdown, and its role in the homing beam's activation ensures the TARDIS cannot escape detection. The time machine embodies the Daleks' technological superiority and their willingness to exploit time itself as a weapon.

Before: Fully operational and stationed in the Dalek Control …
After: Departed from Kembel, en route to 1966 London, …
Before: Fully operational and stationed in the Dalek Control Room on Kembel, with the task force aboard and ready for departure.
After: Departed from Kembel, en route to 1966 London, locked onto the TARDIS's coordinates via the homing beam.
Homing Beam

The homing beam is the Daleks' technological advantage in this event, a device that bridges the gap between Kembel and 1966 London. Activated by the Black Dalek's command, it locks onto the TARDIS's spacetime bearing, ensuring the Dalek time machine can pursue the Doctor with precision. The homing beam's activation is the climax of this event, symbolizing the Daleks' ability to track their enemies across time. Its glow is a visual and auditory cue of their relentless pursuit, reinforcing the tension and inevitability of their hunt.

Before: Inactive but ready for deployment in the Dalek …
After: Activated and locked onto the TARDIS's coordinates in …
Before: Inactive but ready for deployment in the Dalek Control Room.
After: Activated and locked onto the TARDIS's coordinates in 1966 London, guiding the Dalek time machine.
TARDIS Exterior (Kembel Jungle Landing)

The TARDIS is the primary target of this event, its location in 1966 London pinpointed by the Daleks' homing beam. The Doctor's ship is no longer a mysterious variable but a fixed point in spacetime, vulnerable to the Daleks' temporal assault. Its imminent landing on Earth is reported by Dalek 2, triggering the Black Dalek's orders to lock onto its coordinates. The TARDIS's role here is passive but critical—it is the catalyst for the Daleks' proactive hunt, and its presence in 1966 London becomes the focal point of their relentless pursuit.

Before: Preparing to land on Earth, unaware of the …
After: Locked onto by the Daleks' homing beam, its …
Before: Preparing to land on Earth, unaware of the Daleks' homing beam lock.
After: Locked onto by the Daleks' homing beam, its coordinates in 1966 London confirmed and targeted for pursuit.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Dalek Command Centre

The Dalek Control Room is the nerve center of this event, a sterile, high-tech environment where the Daleks orchestrate their temporal assault. Its walls amplify the grating voices of the Daleks, and the air hums with the sound of machinery, creating an oppressive atmosphere of efficiency and menace. The control room's consoles glow under harsh lights, reflecting the Daleks' clinical approach to genocide. Here, the Black Dalek issues commands, Dalek 2 reports on the TARDIS, and the homing beam is activated—all actions that reinforce the Daleks' dominance and their relentless pursuit of the Doctor.

Atmosphere Oppressively mechanical, with a hum of machinery and the grating voices of the Daleks echoing …
Function Command center for the Daleks' temporal assault, where strategic decisions are made and the homing …
Symbolism Represents the Daleks' institutional power and their genocidal ambitions, a place where logic and efficiency …
Access Restricted to Daleks and their designated allies (e.g., Mavic Chen). Unauthorized entry would likely result …
Harsh, glowing consoles reflecting off the sterile walls. The grating, overlapping voices of the Daleks filling the air. The hum of machinery and the occasional beep of systems.
London, 1966 (Earth)

London, 1966, is the target location of this event, pinpointed by the Daleks' homing beam as the TARDIS's landing site. Though not physically present in the scene, its significance is central—it becomes the focal point of the Daleks' temporal pursuit. The Black Dalek's command to lock onto the TARDIS's coordinates in 1966 London transforms this ordinary city into a battleground in the Daleks' war against the Doctor. The date and location are revealed with clinical precision, underscoring the Daleks' ability to weaponize time itself. The implication is that London, 1966, is no longer a safe haven but a trap set by the Daleks.

Atmosphere Unbeknownst to its inhabitants, London, 1966, is now a target in a temporal war. The …
Function Target location for the Dalek time machine's pursuit of the TARDIS, marked as a fixed …
Symbolism Represents the Daleks' ability to reach into the past and alter history, turning an ordinary …
Access None (as a location in time), but the Daleks' homing beam effectively 'locks' it as …
The Oval cricket pitch, where the TARDIS is set to materialize (implied by the Doctor's later landing). The unsuspecting crowds of 1966 London, unaware of the temporal threat looming over them.

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
Collective Dalek Race

The Dalek Race is the driving force behind this event, with the Black Dalek as its unquestioned leader. The organization's genocidal ambitions are on full display as they deploy their time machine to hunt the TARDIS, weaponizing their temporal technology to track the Doctor across time. The Daleks' collective action—from the countdown to the homing beam's activation—embodies their ruthless efficiency and single-minded focus on extermination. This event marks a critical escalation in their campaign, shifting from reactive defense to proactive offense in their war against the Doctor.

Representation Through the Black Dalek's commands and the collective action of the Dalek task force, including …
Power Dynamics Exercising absolute authority over the mission, with the Black Dalek as the supreme decision-maker and …
Impact This event reinforces the Dalek Race's dominance as a temporal power, demonstrating their ability to …
Internal Dynamics The Daleks operate as a hive mind, with the Black Dalek at the top of …
Deploy the Dalek time machine to hunt down and eliminate the TARDIS in 1966 London. Use the homing beam to lock onto the Doctor's coordinates, ensuring a successful pursuit across time. Technological superiority (homing beam, time machine). Absolute obedience within the Dalek hierarchy, ensuring no dissent or hesitation. Leveraging Mavic Chen's reluctant compliance as a pawn in their scheme.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1

"The Doctor's evasive actions from the Monk and Daleks run parallel, as both parties are actively pursuing them and causing the time travelers to try and escape."

Doctor deflects Steven’s technical questions
S3E17 · Volcano
What this causes 1
Temporal medium

"The events aboard the Dalek time machine occur parallel to the TARDIS materializing in Trafalgar Square."

TARDIS lands in 1966 New Year’s Eve
S3E17 · Volcano

Themes This Exemplifies

Thematic resonance and meaning

Part of Larger Arcs

Key Dialogue

"BLACK DALEK: "Commence count down.""
"DALEK: "Enemy ship located. Space time bearing, planet Earth, London, 1966.""
"BLACK DALEK: "Compute their bearing and advise task force. Task force will use the homing beam.""