The Betrayal That Forges a Monster: Gharman’s Emotional Erasure and the Daleks’ Birth
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Davros decides against killing Gharman, opting instead for a brain operation to remove his emotions and repurpose his scientific skills. He orders Nyder to identify and capture the other plotters for similar treatment, instructing caution to avoid prematurely exposing his enemies.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Coldly triumphant during the betrayal, but his focus shifts to alertness as the banging in the ventilator shaft disrupts the moment. There is no remorse—only the satisfaction of a mission accomplished and the readiness to confront new threats.
Nyder, Davros’s loyal enforcer, feigns allegiance to Gharman’s conspiracy, extracting the names of the conspirators with calculated precision. His demeanor is cold and controlled, masking his true loyalty to Davros. The moment Gharman lowers his guard, Nyder strikes him unconscious with a brutal cosh, handing him over to Davros. His attention then shifts to the distant banging in the ventilator shaft, his instincts immediately alert to the potential threat of intruders.
- • To extract the names of the conspirators from Gharman and deliver them to Davros for punishment.
- • To neutralize Gharman as a threat to the Dalek project and ensure his compliance through surgical intervention.
- • That loyalty to Davros and the Dalek project is absolute, and dissent must be crushed without hesitation.
- • That the ventilator shaft noise indicates a potential security breach that must be investigated immediately.
Initially hopeful and determined, but rapidly descending into betrayed terror as Nyder strikes him down. His final moments of consciousness are marked by a crushing realization that his rebellion has failed, and his humanity is about to be surgically removed.
Gharman, the leader of the Kaled scientists' conspiracy, stands in the dimly lit detention room, his voice trembling with a mix of desperation and hope as he outlines the ultimatum to Nyder. He lists the names of his fellow conspirators—Kavell, Frenton, and Parran—unaware that Nyder is betraying him. His posture is tense, his words urgent, as he clings to the belief that morality can still be restored to the Daleks. The moment Nyder clubs him unconscious, his body slumps to the ground, his ideals shattered, his fate sealed by Davros's decree of emotional erasure.
- • To rally support among the Kaled scientists to issue an ultimatum to Davros, demanding moral conscience be restored to the Daleks.
- • To protect his fellow conspirators and ensure the Dalek project is either moralized or destroyed.
- • That the Daleks can and must be imbued with morality to prevent their use as instruments of destruction.
- • That the Kaled scientific community can unite against Davros’s tyranny and force a change in the Dalek project’s direction.
Coldly triumphant, with a hint of amusement at Gharman’s downfall. The banging in the ventilator shaft is an irritation, but his primary focus remains on the systematic eradication of dissent and the perfection of the Dalek project.
Davros, the architect of the Dalek project, oversees the betrayal of Gharman with detached satisfaction. He orders Nyder to spare Gharman’s life, not out of mercy, but to repurpose him as an obedient enforcer through surgical removal of his emotions. His voice is cold and calculating, reflecting his belief that the Daleks must be free of moral constraints. The distant banging in the ventilator shaft briefly distracts him, but his focus remains on the purge of dissent and the consolidation of his power.
- • To neutralize Gharman and the other conspirators by removing their emotions and repurposing them as loyal enforcers for the Dalek project.
- • To identify and eliminate all threats to the Dalek project, ensuring its unchecked advancement toward universal supremacy.
- • That morality is a weakness that must be eradicated from the Daleks and their creators alike.
- • That the Dalek project must proceed without interference, and dissent will be met with absolute suppression.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The distant banging from the ventilator shaft serves as a haunting intrusion into the scene, a sound that disrupts the betrayal of Gharman and forces Davros and Nyder to acknowledge the presence of an unseen intruder. The noise is ambiguous—it could be an ally, a saboteur, or a mere distraction—but its impact is undeniable. It symbolizes the fragility of Davros’s control and the persistence of resistance, even in the darkest corners of the Kaled bunker.
Nyder’s cosh is the instrument of Gharman’s betrayal, a blunt object wielded with precision to strike him unconscious. The weapon symbolizes the brutal efficiency of Davros’s regime—no hesitation, no mercy, only the swift elimination of threats. Its use marks the transition from deception to violence, a clear message that dissent will not be tolerated. The cosh is a tool of control, ensuring Gharman’s compliance through force rather than persuasion.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Kaled detention room is a claustrophobic, dimly lit space where Gharman’s conspiracy is shattered and his fate is sealed. The room’s oppressive atmosphere amplifies the tension of the betrayal, with its shadows and confined walls mirroring the suffocating control of Davros’s regime. It is a place of secrets and violence, where loyalty is tested and lives are altered forever. The distant banging from the ventilator shaft adds to the room’s unease, a reminder that even in this isolated space, resistance persists.
The Kaled detention room ventilator shaft is a narrow, claustrophobic conduit that serves as the unseen pathway for the Unnamed Intruder. The rhythmic banging emanating from the shaft disrupts the betrayal of Gharman, forcing Davros and Nyder to acknowledge the presence of an external threat. The shaft symbolizes the fragility of Davros’s control—even in the most secure parts of the bunker, resistance can find a way in. Its role in the scene is both practical and symbolic, representing the persistence of hope and the inevitability of challenge to tyranny.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Dalek Project Resistance, led by Gharman, is dealt a crushing blow in this event as their conspiracy is exposed by Nyder’s betrayal. Gharman’s capture and the revelation of the names of the other conspirators—Kavell, Frenton, and Parran—mark the beginning of a purge that will see their emotions surgically removed, turning them into hollow enforcers for Davros. The resistance’s ideals of morality and conscience are shattered, and their fate hangs in the balance as Davros consolidates his control over the Dalek project.
Davros’s Dalek Project is advanced through the betrayal and capture of Gharman, a key figure in the resistance. The exposure of the conspirators’ names allows Davros to systematically neutralize dissent, ensuring the project’s unchecked progression toward its goal of universal supremacy. The decision to repurpose Gharman and the other conspirators through surgical removal of their emotions demonstrates Davros’s ruthless efficiency in turning threats into assets. The distant banging from the ventilator shaft, while a minor distraction, does not deter Davros from his ultimate objective: the creation of a morally unencumbered Dalek army.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Reveal leads to betrayal"
"Reveal leads to betrayal"
"Betrayal leads to plot to take mind to remove emotion"
"Betrayal leads to plot to take mind to remove emotion"
"Planning destruction thematically parallels plot to reveal Davros."
"Reveal leads to betrayal"
"Reveal leads to betrayal"
"Interruption leads to the unveiling of the companions and The Doctor."
"Betrayal leads to plot to take mind to remove emotion"
"Betrayal leads to plot to take mind to remove emotion"
Key Dialogue
"GHARMAN: *We’ll make this as quick as we can. I don’t want to be missed.* NYDER: *What are we going to do?* GHARMAN: *Now look, a number of the scientists believe as we do. When we have enough strength on our side, we’ll give to Davros an ultimatum.* NYDER: *What ultimatum do you suggest?* GHARMAN: *That we will only continue with the work on the Daleks if he restores the brain cells, the conscience. The creature must have a moral sense, a judgment of right and wrong. In fact, all the qualities that we believe are essential in ourselves.*"
"NYDER: *And if he doesn’t accept that ultimatum?* GHARMAN: *Then we will destroy all the work that has been done. Everything. It’ll be as though the Dalek were never created.*"
"DAVROS: *A pity. He has a good scientific mind.* NYDER: *Shall I kill him?* DAVROS: *No. A little surgery on the brain will remove these stupid emotions and still allow us to make use of his inventive skills.*"