Master uses Benton's capture to power TOM-TIT
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
With Benton incapacitated, the Master proceeds to operate the TOM-TIT machine, explaining to Percival that he needs to bring someone to harness the power of Kronos, the only obstacle to his complete control.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Shocked alarm transitioning into unconsciousness after a brutal impact
Benton approaches the Master with tactical precision, drawing his pistol to assert authority but momentarily lowers his guard when the Master feigns compliance. The Master exploits his hesitation to violently disarm and incapacitate him.
- • Apprehend the Master and Dr. Percival to prevent their temporal experiment
- • Reassert UNIT authority in the laboratory
- • Following proper military chain of command ensures success
- • Institutional legitimacy guarantees safety and effectiveness
Triumphant and unnervingly calm
The Master speaks in measured, mocking tones to Benton initially, but drops pretenses as Benton is subdued, revealing his true ruthless nature. He proceeds to dominate the scene with effortless brutality and operational control.
- • Operate the TOM-TIT machine to harness the Crystal of Kronos
- • Neutralize Benton to eliminate resistance
- • Temporal power supersedes all ethical or practical constraints
- • Control over time equates to godlike dominion
Feigned indifference masking triumphant confidence
The Master initially responds to Benton’s demands with condescension, then seizes the moment Benton lowers his guard to disarm him with a swift, violent takedown. He proceeds to mock Benton’s military instincts while operating the TOM-TIT machine with practiced ease, displaying unshaken confidence in his plan.
- • Regain control of the TOM-TIT machine to activate Kronos' power
- • Undermine Benton's authority to eliminate immediate interference
- • Bureaucratic institutions and military customs are inherently weak and easily manipulated
- • Temporal power is the ultimate means of domination over the universe
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Benton's pistol is a central element in the confrontation. He draws it to assert control over the Master and Percival, but the Master swiftly disarms him by redirecting the pistol upward with a controlled forearm strike before wrenching it from his grasp. The pistol clatters to the floor, rendering Benton defenseless.
The filing cabinet acts as an unintended but catastrophic obstacle when Benton is thrown backward during the scuffle. His head collides with the cabinet’s sharp edge, causing instant unconsciousness. The cabinet’s drawers are left ajar, silently marking the violence of the encounter.
The TOM-TIT apparatus is the focus of the Master’s renewed intent. After subduing Benton, the Master begins operating the machine’s controls, initiating the dangerous process to stabilize and harness the Crystal of Kronos’ energy. The machine’s mechanical groans and the crystal’s erratic light signal the escalation of his temporal scheme.
The Molecular Resonance Scanner rests near the TOM-TIT machine, its pulsed blue circuitry casting light on the laboratory’s metallic surfaces. The Doctor and Hyde had relied on it for calibration, but it becomes overshadowed as the Master seizes control of the machine, dismissing it as routine instrumentation.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The chaotic and sterile main testing area of the Newton Institute Laboratory becomes the stage for the Master’s brutal consolidation of power. The groaning TOM-TIT machine, flickering status monitors, and the sharp metallic scent of ozone create a backdrop for the violent confrontation and the reckless activation of temporal technology.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
UNIT’s presence in the Institute is represented by Benton’s failed attempt to assert military authority over the Master and Percival. The organization’s protocols and chain of command are exposed as ineffective against the Master’s manipulation, leaving the laboratory vulnerable to temporal capture.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Benton’s hidden re-entry leads directly to his confrontation with a drawn pistol, forcing the Master to escalate his tactics to regain control."
Benton thwarts the Master's impersonation then is ambushed"Benton’s hidden re-entry leads directly to his confrontation with a drawn pistol, forcing the Master to escalate his tactics to regain control."
Master secures Percival's unwitting consent"The Master’s use of a distraction ('Doctor!') to disarm Benton directly causes his incapacitation, allowing the Master to proceed unopposed with his plan."
Benton thwarts the Master's impersonation then is ambushed"The Master’s use of a distraction ('Doctor!') to disarm Benton directly causes his incapacitation, allowing the Master to proceed unopposed with his plan."
Master secures Percival's unwitting consent"With Benton incapacitated, the Master’s operation of the TOM-TIT machine accelerates, culminating in Krasis’s successful invocation of Kronos, raising the tempo of the crisis."
Krasis summons Kronos with forbidden ritualKey Dialogue
"MASTER: The tribal taboos of army etiquette. I find it difficult to identify with such primitive absurdities."
"BENTON: Yes, well, primitive or not, mate, you're still in the soup without a ladle, aren't you."
"MASTER: That is the oldest trick in the book."