Narrative Web
S9E21
· The Time Monster Part 1

False detection shifts to dread of another TARDIS

The Doctor and Jo calibrate the time detector in UNIT’s laboratory, only for the device to register an impossible reading that their own TARDIS cannot explain. Initial confusion over unit discrepancies leads to the horrifying conclusion that another TARDIS now lingers nearby—a direct challenge to the Doctor’s dominance of time and space. The moment fractures their trust in the machine’s output, forcing them to confront an adversarial presence already positioned to exploit the unfolding crisis. key_dialogue: [ DOCTOR: That's impossible unless JO: Unless what? DOCTOR: Another Tardis! ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

The Doctor and Jo observe the time detector's initial reading, which incorrectly suggests another TARDIS is nearby.

curiosity to confusion

The Doctor and Jo investigate why the time detector has reactivated, leading to the discovery that another TARDIS is indeed nearby.

confusion to revelation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Jo Grant
Technical Assistant
 primary

Curious and slightly perturbed by the device’s behavior

Jo monitors the time detector alongside the Doctor, calling attention to discrepancies in its readings. She interprets the machine’s behavior and prompts the Doctor to delve deeper, her curiosity bridging the gap between technical failure and existential threat.

Goals in this moment
  • • Correct the technical malfunction in the time detector
  • • Express concern leading to the realization of another TARDIS
Active beliefs
  • • Technology should function predictably
  • • The Doctor’s expertise will resolve the anomaly
Character traits
Methodical Attentive to detail Unfazed by the Doctor’s quips
Follow Jo Grant's journey
The Third Doctor
Scientific Adviser
 primary

Baffled amusement devolving into sharp realization

The Doctor emerges from the TARDIS and engages with Jo as they attempt to understand the time detector’s erratic readings. He initially dismisses the anomaly as a calibration error involving Venusian feet before the device reactivates and forces him to confront the impossible.

Goals in this moment
  • • Uncover the source of the time detector’s false readings
  • • Confront the unsettling conclusion of another TARDIS nearby
Active beliefs
  • • Technical systems require precise calibration
  • • Temporal anomalies are immediately hostile until proven otherwise
Character traits
Analytical Dryly humorous Adaptable under pressure
Follow The Third …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
UNIT Temporal Scanning Device (TOMT Array)

The time detector suddenly activates and reveals impossible temporal readings, confusing both the Doctor and Jo as it points to an inexplicable presence nearby, shaking their confidence in the machine’s integrity.

Before: Functioning with minor calibration issues, seemingly providing erratic …
After: Reactivated beyond normal parameters, emitting an impossible temporal …
Before: Functioning with minor calibration issues, seemingly providing erratic distance readings
After: Reactivated beyond normal parameters, emitting an impossible temporal signature forcing confrontation
The Doctor’s TARDIS

The Doctor’s TARDIS acts as both a physical presence and a temporal anomaly in the scene. Its absence from the lab while the time detector registers activity unnerves the Doctor, who realizes the device’s reading cannot be explained by his own ship.

Before: Positioned outside the lab, its temporal signature dormant …
After: Implicated as the obvious but absent reference point …
Before: Positioned outside the lab, its temporal signature dormant from the Doctor’s perspective
After: Implicated as the obvious but absent reference point for the impossible readings, setting up the crisis

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
UNIT Temporal Research Facility

The UNIT laboratory serves as the controlled environment where the Doctor and Jo conduct their temporal investigation. Its technological infrastructure becomes both a tool and a witness to the discovery, with its consoles and monitors amplifying the weight of the anomaly.

Atmosphere Focused and tense, charged with technical urgency
Function Hub for scientific analysis and immediate crisis response
Symbolism Represents the intersection of human technology and temporal forces, highlighting vulnerability to forces beyond comprehension
Access Restricted access for security and operational integrity
Humming consoles tracking temporal anomalies Flickering equipment under strain

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Causal

"The Doctor’s explanation that the time sensor detects disturbances in the time field leads Jo and him to realize another TARDIS is nearby, culminating in the discovery of the Master’s temporal machine and its location at Wootton."

Doctor demonstrates time sensor to Jo
S9E21 · The Time Monster Part 1