McDermott defies Farrel to call his father
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
To calm McDermott's concerns, Farrel states he will fetch Colonel Masters from the lab to explain everything. After Farrell leaves, McDermott picks up the phone to contact Farrel senior against Rex's wishes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Firm and resolute, with an undercurrent of concern for the factory’s future. His skepticism is tempered by a sense of duty to Farrel Sr. and the business’s history, driving him to act decisively despite Farrel’s resistance.
McDermott, the factory’s long-serving and skeptical employee, directly challenges Farrel’s authority by questioning the existence of 'Colonel Masters.' He demands proof, threatens to involve Farrel Sr., and ultimately takes action by secretly instructing Sylvia to call the retired patriarch. His actions reveal his loyalty to the factory’s legacy and his distrust of Farrel’s erratic behavior, positioning him as a potential counterforce to the Master’s influence.
- • Expose the inconsistency of 'Colonel Masters' to protect the factory from Farrel’s poor decisions.
- • Restore Farrel Sr.’s influence to stabilize the factory’s operations and counter the Master’s manipulation.
- • Farrel is being deceived or manipulated, and 'Colonel Masters' does not exist as claimed.
- • Farrel Sr. is the rightful authority figure who can rectify the situation and uphold the factory’s legacy.
Confident and calculating (implied), knowing his hypnotic hold on Farrel will ensure the factory’s resources are diverted to Auton production. His absence from the scene underscores his reliance on proxies like Farrel to execute his plans.
The Master is not physically present in this scene but is the unseen force driving Farrel’s erratic behavior. His hypnotic influence is evident in Farrel’s desperation to prove the existence of 'Colonel Masters,' his physical discomfort, and his panicked departure to 'fetch' him. The Master’s manipulation of Farrel is a key subtext, as his control over the factory’s operations hinges on Farrel’s compliance.
- • Maintain Farrel’s compliance to secure the factory’s plastic production for Auton manufacturing.
- • Prevent McDermott or Farrel Sr. from interfering with his plans by exploiting Farrel’s instability.
- • Farrel is fully under his control and will obey his commands without question.
- • The factory’s resources are critical to his alliance with the Nestene Consciousness and the Auton invasion.
Defensive and agitated, masking deep panic and instability as his authority crumbles under McDermott’s scrutiny. His physical discomfort (headache) and frantic search for non-existent records reveal his unraveling mental state, driven by the Master’s hypnotic hold.
Farrel, the factory owner, is visibly agitated and defensive as McDermott challenges his authority. He frantically searches through a drawer of card files for any record of 'Colonel Masters,' his headache and physical discomfort betraying his growing instability. When he fails to produce evidence, he lashes out, insisting on his father’s retirement and his own control, before panicking and abruptly leaving to 'fetch' Masters, his erratic behavior revealing the Master’s hypnotic influence.
- • Prove the existence of 'Colonel Masters' to retain authority over McDermott and the factory.
- • Avoid involving Farrel Sr., whose legacy threatens his tenuous control.
- • Colonel Masters is a legitimate authority figure overseeing production (hypnotically implanted belief).
- • His father’s retirement means he alone is responsible for the factory’s success, and failure is unacceptable.
Not physically present, but his invocation stirs defensive and panicked reactions in Farrel, revealing the retired patriarch’s continued influence over the factory’s dynamics. His absence highlights the power vacuum Farrel is failing to fill.
Farrel Sr. is not physically present in the scene but is invoked as a symbolic authority figure whose legacy looms over the factory. McDermott references him as a potential solution to Farrel’s erratic behavior, and Farrel reacts defensively to the mention of his father. Farrel Sr.’s retired status and the factory’s history under his leadership serve as a counterweight to Farrel’s instability, setting up a power struggle that could disrupt the Master’s plans.
- • None explicit in this scene, but his potential involvement is framed as a corrective measure to Farrel’s failures.
- • Uphold the factory’s legacy and restore order (implied by McDermott’s actions).
- • Farrel Sr. believes in the factory’s traditions and would not tolerate the Master’s interference (implied by McDermott’s loyalty to him).
- • His retirement does not diminish his authority in the eyes of the factory’s long-time employees (implied).
Neutral and professional, fulfilling her role without question. Her involvement underscores the urgency of McDermott’s actions and the factory’s reliance on its employees to maintain order.
Sylvia, the factory’s switchboard operator or secretary, is mentioned briefly as McDermott instructs her to call Farrel Sr. Her role is functional, facilitating McDermott’s plan to involve the retired patriarch. While she does not speak or act independently in this scene, her participation is crucial in setting up the cross-scene power struggle.
- • Assist McDermott in contacting Farrel Sr. to address the factory’s instability.
- • Support the factory’s operations by following instructions from trusted subordinates like McDermott.
- • Sylvia trusts McDermott’s judgment and understands the importance of involving Farrel Sr. (implied).
- • She recognizes the tension between Farrel and McDermott and acts to resolve it (implied).
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The card file drawer in Farrel’s desk is a physical manifestation of the factory’s bureaucratic records and Farrel’s failing authority. When McDermott challenges the existence of 'Colonel Masters,' Farrel frantically yanks open the drawer, rifling through the large card files in a desperate search for any proof of Masters’ involvement. His inability to find a record exposes the hollowness of his claims and underscores the Master’s hypnotic manipulation, as Farrel’s physical discomfort (headache) and fumbling search reveal his unraveling mental state. The drawer symbolizes the factory’s institutional memory and Farrel’s inability to uphold its standards.
The factory office telephone is a critical tool in McDermott’s plan to challenge Farrel’s authority. After Farrel leaves to 'fetch' Colonel Masters, McDermott picks up the receiver and instructs Sylvia to call Farrel Sr., using the telephone to bypass Farrel’s control and restore the retired patriarch’s influence. The telephone symbolizes communication, power, and the ability to circumvent Farrel’s erratic decisions, serving as a catalyst for the power struggle that follows.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The factory office is a claustrophobic and tension-filled space where Farrel’s authority crumbles under McDermott’s scrutiny. The dim lighting, cluttered desk, and the presence of the card file drawer and telephone create an atmosphere of institutional decay and power struggles. Farrel’s physical discomfort (headache) and erratic behavior are amplified by the confined setting, while McDermott’s challenge to his authority plays out in this intimate but charged environment. The office symbolizes the factory’s legacy and the battle for its future, as Farrel’s hypnotic suggestibility and McDermott’s loyalty to Farrel Sr. collide.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Farrel’s Plastics Factory is the organizational backdrop for this power struggle, with its legacy, operations, and future at stake. The factory’s stability is threatened by Farrel’s erratic behavior and the Master’s hypnotic influence, while McDermott’s intervention represents an attempt to restore order through Farrel Sr.’s authority. The factory’s institutional memory (embodied in the card files and Farrel Sr.’s legacy) is pitted against the Master’s manipulation of Farrel, creating a narrative tension that reflects broader themes of control, loyalty, and institutional decay.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"McDermott's attempt to contact Farrel senior (beat_cbe2b0ccc539eee3) is too late. In that time, the Master has activated the first Auton in the lab (beat_df8fd82b517564d8)."
The Master awakens the AutonsThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"MCDERMOTT: I think you'd better go home. Sure, look, I know all our customers and there isn't a Colonel Masters amongst them."
"FARREL: May I remind you, Mister McDermott, that my father is retired. I'm running this place now."
"MCDERMOTT: Look, I'm sorry, Rex, but I especially promised your father I would..."
"FARREL: There's no need to bring father into it! Look, I'll go and fetch him. He's only down in the lab."
"MCDERMOTT: Who?"
"FARREL: Colonel Masters, of course. He'll explain everything."