Susan learns Thals are Dalek survivors
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Susan encounters Alydon outside the TARDIS, who identifies himself as someone who tried to approach her yesterday and claims responsibility for leaving the drugs; Susan expresses her initial fear.
Susan reveals that her grandfather and friends are prisoners and need the drugs Alydon left. Alydon is surprised to learn of the Daleks' survival and questions why they would want the drugs, planting a seed of doubt in Susan's mind about their true intentions.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Alydon begins with composed reassurance but descends into shock and concern as the reality of the Daleks’ survival sinks in. His emotional state is a mix of protective urgency (for Susan and his people) and deep unease about the resurgent threat. By the end, he is resolute in his alliance with Susan, but his underlying fear for the Thals’ future is palpable.
Alydon approaches Susan with deliberate calm, his demeanor shifting from reassurance to shock as he learns the Daleks have survived. He reveals the Thals’ history as survivors of a final war, his voice carrying both pride and weariness. His offer of additional drugs, his cloak, and his escort to the city wall signals a protective stance, but his horror at the Daleks’ survival underscores the fragility of his people’s position. He questions Susan’s trust in the Daleks, mirroring her own doubts, and his insistence on hiding the drugs suggests a strategic mind aware of the stakes.
- • Ensure Susan and her group receive the anti-radiation drugs to survive
- • Assess the threat posed by the Daleks’ survival and determine how to protect the Thals
- • The Daleks are a genocidal force that must be opposed, not trusted (his horror at their survival confirms this)
- • Susan and her group are potential allies in the fight against the Daleks, despite their initial distrust
Initially fearful and disoriented, Susan transitions to a state of cautious hope as Alydon offers protection and clarity. Her emotional arc reflects the tension between her desperation to save her loved ones and her growing distrust of the Daleks, which is mirrored in Alydon’s own revelations. By the end, she is resolute but still guarded, her trust in Alydon tempered by the broader uncertainty of their situation.
Susan stands in the petrified forest, her posture tense and defensive as she confronts Alydon. Initially terrified, she clutches the vial of drugs she believed was accidentally dropped, her voice trembling with urgency as she reveals the plight of her imprisoned grandfather and friends. Her confusion shifts to cautious hope as Alydon clarifies the drugs were intentionally left for her, but her distrust of the Daleks deepens when Alydon questions their motives. She accepts his cloak and agrees to his escort, her desperation tempered by a fragile trust in this stranger.
- • Secure the anti-radiation drugs to save her grandfather and friends from radiation sickness
- • Understand the true motives of the Daleks and Alydon to navigate the dangerous alliance
- • The Daleks are manipulative and cannot be trusted (reinforced by Alydon’s questions)
- • Alydon’s offer of help is genuine, despite her initial fear of him
The Daleks are not physically present but are portrayed as cold, calculating, and unfeeling. Their emotional state is one of dominance and control, using fear and desperation to exert power over both Susan and the Thals. Their survival and actions are framed as a resurgent threat, reinforcing their role as antagonists.
The Daleks are referenced indirectly through Susan and Alydon’s dialogue, their presence looming as a manipulative and malevolent force. Susan reveals they are holding her grandfather and friends captive, demanding the drugs for themselves rather than for the prisoners’ survival. Alydon’s horror at their survival and his questions about their motives highlight their role as a resurgent, deceptive threat. Their influence is felt through the tension they create, the distrust they inspire, and the high stakes of the drugs they demand.
- • Obtain the anti-radiation drugs from Susan to ensure their own survival
- • Maintain control over the prisoners to leverage them against the Thals
- • The Thals and humans are inferior and can be exploited for their resources
- • Trust is a weakness to be manipulated, not reciprocated
Though not physically present, the grandfather’s condition is framed as one of suffering and dependence. His illness underscores the urgency of Susan’s mission and the moral weight of her choices, as she navigates trust and betrayal to secure his survival.
Susan’s grandfather is mentioned as one of the prisoners held by the Daleks, gravely ill from radiation sickness. His condition is a driving force behind Susan’s urgency and desperation, as she seeks the drugs to save him. Though not physically present, his plight is central to the emotional stakes of the scene, symbolizing the vulnerability of the group and the high cost of the Daleks’ manipulation.
- • Survive the radiation sickness (implicit, as his condition drives Susan’s actions)
- • Be rescued by Susan and her allies (his freedom is the ultimate goal)
- • The Daleks are a threat that must be outmaneuvered to ensure survival
- • Susan and her allies are his only hope for rescue
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The TARDIS is referenced indirectly as Susan’s point of origin and a symbol of her group’s connection to the wider universe. Though not physically present in the scene, its implication as a safe haven and a means of escape adds depth to Susan’s desperation. The TARDIS represents her group’s outsider status on Skaro and their potential to intervene in the conflict between the Thals and Daleks. Its absence in the forest underscores the isolation and danger of Susan’s mission, as she must rely on Alydon’s guidance and the fragile trust between their peoples.
The Thal anti-radiation serum is the pivotal object in this event, serving as both a lifeline and a bargaining chip. Susan initially believes the vial was dropped by accident, but Alydon reveals it was intentionally left for her. This revelation shifts the dynamic, as the drugs become a symbol of the Thals’ desperation and a tool for the Daleks’ manipulation. Alydon offers additional vials, emphasizing the need to hide them from the Daleks, which underscores the high stakes of their alliance. The serum’s role is twofold: it is a medical necessity for the prisoners’ survival and a political pawn in the conflict between the Thals and Daleks.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The outer wall of the Dalek city is mentioned as the destination of Susan and Alydon’s journey, looming as a stark barrier between the petrified forest and the Daleks’ stronghold. It symbolizes the divide between freedom and captivity, between the Thals’ hidden survival and the Daleks’ domination. The wall is not yet physically present in this scene, but its mention adds urgency and foreboding to their mission. It represents the final obstacle Susan must overcome to rescue her grandfather and friends, and the point at which the fragile alliance with Alydon will be tested.
The petrified forest serves as a liminal space where Susan and Alydon’s fates intersect. Its towering, fossilized trees cast long shadows, creating an atmosphere of tension and unease that mirrors the fragile trust between the two. The forest is neither fully safe nor entirely hostile, acting as a neutral ground where revelations and alliances can form. It symbolizes the transition between the Thals’ hidden refuge and the Daleks’ dead city, embodying the broader conflict between survival and domination. The forest’s oppressive silence amplifies the weight of every word spoken, making it a crucible for truth and deception.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Thals are represented through Alydon, who embodies their desperation, resilience, and strategic mind. His offer of the anti-radiation drugs and his cloak symbolizes the Thals’ willingness to share their limited resources with outsiders, despite their own suffering. Alydon’s horror at learning the Daleks have survived reveals the Thals’ deep-seated fear and the high stakes of their existence. The organization’s involvement in this event is framed by their need for allies and their awareness of the Daleks’ manipulative tactics. The Thals’ power dynamics are characterized by vulnerability and the urgent need to secure their survival, which drives their tentative alliance with Susan.
The Daleks are represented indirectly through Susan and Alydon’s dialogue, their influence permeating the scene as a manipulative and malevolent force. Their survival and demand for the anti-radiation drugs are revealed as a resurgent threat, upending Alydon’s belief that they were extinct. The Daleks’ labeling of the Thals as 'mutations' underscores their xenophobic worldview and their willingness to exploit others for their own survival. Their presence is felt through the tension they create, the distrust they inspire, and the high stakes of the drugs they demand. The organization’s power dynamics are framed as one of dominance and control, using fear and desperation to exert influence over both Susan and the Thals.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Alydon offering the cloak follows directly from their discussion about the Thals being survivors of a final war and the persistent dangers from radiation. The cloak represents a tangible symbol of trust and protection."
Alydon reveals Thal suffering and Dalek deception"Susan initially expresses fear towards Alydon but gradually builds trust as he offers help and information. This trust is solidified when Alydon vouches for the Thals and explains their situation to Susan."
Alydon reveals Thal suffering and Dalek deception"Alydon's cloak, initially given to protect Susan from the cold and radiation, is later identified by Ian as an insulating material that can disrupt the Daleks' power source, turning it from a symbol of protection to a key element in the prisoners' escape plan. This spans multiple scenes and acts, from the forest encounter to the formulation of the escape plan inside the detention cell."
Prisoners deduce Dalek power vulnerability"Alydon's cloak, initially given to protect Susan from the cold and radiation, is later identified by Ian as an insulating material that can disrupt the Daleks' power source, turning it from a symbol of protection to a key element in the prisoners' escape plan. This spans multiple scenes and acts, from the forest encounter to the formulation of the escape plan inside the detention cell."
Daleks debate prisoners' fate and power source"Alydon's cloak provides the means for disabling the Dalek in the prison cell. This insulating properties of the cloak that were discussed between Alydon and Susan directly allow for the disabling of the dalek by disrupting its electrical connection."
Barbara devises mud distraction plan"Alydon offering the cloak follows directly from their discussion about the Thals being survivors of a final war and the persistent dangers from radiation. The cloak represents a tangible symbol of trust and protection."
Alydon reveals Thal suffering and Dalek deception"Alydon's cloak provides the means for disabling the Dalek in the prison cell. This insulating properties of the cloak that were discussed between Alydon and Susan directly allow for the disabling of the dalek by disrupting its electrical connection."
Ian impersonates a Dalek under pressure"Alydon's cloak provides the means for disabling the Dalek in the prison cell. This insulating properties of the cloak that were discussed between Alydon and Susan directly allow for the disabling of the dalek by disrupting its electrical connection."
Prisoners Disable Dalek in Coordinated Escape"Alydon's cloak provides the means for disabling the Dalek in the prison cell. This insulating properties of the cloak that were discussed between Alydon and Susan directly allow for the disabling of the dalek by disrupting its electrical connection."
Dalek camera becomes escape tool"Susan initially expresses fear towards Alydon but gradually builds trust as he offers help and information. This trust is solidified when Alydon vouches for the Thals and explains their situation to Susan."
Alydon reveals Thal suffering and Dalek deceptionKey Dialogue
"SUSAN: Who are you? What do you want? ALYDON: Don't be afraid. SUSAN: I was frightened. I was terrified."
"ALYDON: So the Dalek people have survived. But do they live in that dead city? SUSAN: Well, underneath it, anyway. You see, the Daleks want the drugs too, and they won't let us go until I bring them back to them. ALYDON: But why should they want the drugs? Surely they must have some themselves if they're still alive."
"SUSAN: They said you were... Well, they called you mutations. ALYDON: We are the survivors of a final war. But the radiation still persists and that is why your friends are ill. I wonder if the Daleks have seen us."