S13E10
Tragic
Written by Stephen Harris
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Pyramids of Mars Part 2

The Doctor and his companions must stop Sutekh, an ancient Egyptian god, from escaping his tomb and destroying the world using a rocket powered by human servitors.

In 'Pyramids of Mars - Part Two', the Doctor, Sarah, and Laurence navigate a complex web of ancient Egyptian mythology and advanced technology as they attempt to thwart the plans of Sutekh, a powerful and malevolent deity. Sutekh, imprisoned for millennia, seeks to break free from his ancient bonds and wreak havoc on the world. The Doctor and his companions discover that Sutekh is using a network of human servitors, led by Marcus Scarman, to construct a rocket that will allow him to escape and destroy the Earth. As Sutekh's power grows, the Doctor must use his knowledge of the ancient Egyptian gods and advanced technology to stop him. The story unfolds with the Doctor and his companions navigating treacherous alliances, uncovering hidden agendas, and confronting the dark forces of Sutekh's tomb. The stakes are high, and the Doctor must act quickly to prevent Sutekh's escape and save the world from destruction.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

28
Act 1

The narrative opens with the immediate consequence of Namin's death, as the alien entity transforms into Marcus Scarman, who then directs mummified servitors to establish a deflection field around the priory. The Doctor reveals the true nature of the threat: Sutekh, an ancient and malevolent Osiran, seeks to escape his millennia-long imprisonment and unleash destruction across the galaxy, beginning with Earth. Scarman, now a mere vessel, acts as Sutekh's embodiment. The Doctor attempts to investigate the sarcophagus, which he identifies as a time-space tunnel to Sutekh, but a powerful blast incapacitates him, leaving Sarah and Laurence to hide him from the advancing mummies. As night falls, the mummies' presence extends to the surrounding woods, trapping a local poacher within the newly erected deflection barrier. Scarman's ruthless control becomes starkly evident when he confronts and orders the murder of Doctor Warlock, a former friend, demonstrating his complete subjugation to Sutekh's will. Upon recovering, the Doctor deduces Scarman's function as a slave relay and formulates a plan to disrupt Sutekh's mental influence. The trio then discovers a hidden storeroom filled with advanced machinery, revealing the mummies are not supernatural beings but robots constructing a rocket. This rocket, the Doctor explains, aims to destroy the power source on Mars that maintains Sutekh's prison. To underscore the catastrophic stakes, the Doctor transports Sarah and Laurence via the TARDIS to a desolate, future Earth in 1980, a world ravaged by Sutekh's unchecked power, compelling them to commit fully to the mission.

Act 2

With the grim future of Earth confirmed, Scarman reports to Sutekh, who, through the mummy case, prioritizes the completion of the rocket over the elimination of the remaining humans, indicating the urgency of Sutekh's escape plan. The Doctor elaborates on Sutekh's imprisonment, explaining that the Osirans confined him seven millennia ago with a forcefield powered from Mars, making the rocket's target critical. He reveals Scarman is merely an animated shell, a conduit for Sutekh's power, and that disrupting this mental link will render Sutekh powerless. The Doctor begins repairing the Marconiscope, intending to transmit an etheric impulse along a precise axis to block Sutekh's mental beam, using the scarab ring taken from Namin as a reverse polarization calculator. As the Doctor prepares his counter-measure, the mummies capture Clements, the poacher, outside the lodge, escalating the immediate danger to human life. Laurence, still struggling to accept his brother's transformation, attempts to intervene and stop Sarah from activating the device, believing it will destroy Marcus. However, Sarah, resolute in her understanding of the stakes after the TARDIS trip, forcefully overrides Laurence's objections. She throws the switch, activating the jamming signal. On a monitor within Sutekh's tomb, Marcus Scarman doubles over in visible pain, confirming the Doctor's strategy has initiated a direct and effective strike against Sutekh's influence.