Fabula
S9E23 · The Time Monster Part 3

Master reveals time-draining plan to Krasis

The Master emerges from his TARDIS in his black attire, marking a decisive shift from preparation to execution. Before the bewildered Krasis, he unveils the final stage of his temporal gambit—inverting the interstitial time flow to siphon energy from the Atlantean crystal. This act transforms the crystal from a mere artifact into a portable power source for his greater scheme. The revelation exposes the Master’s ruthless pragmatism: he dismisses guarantees of safety and co-opts Krasis into active participation without consent. By tying his success to Atlantis, he binds the isolated priest to a shared destiny, ensuring Krasis can no longer plead ignorance or retreat.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

The Master emerges from his TARDIS, ready to move, and discusses his plan with Krasis, reassuring him about Kronos's control.

determination to calmness ['Atlantis']

The Master explains his plan to reverse the interstitial flow to drain time energy from the crystal, ensuring they can take it with them to Atlantis.

clarity

Krasis inquires about their destination, and the Master confirms they are headed to Atlantis.

curiosity to resolution ['Atlantis']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2

Masked arrogance overlaid with calculated determination, projecting absolute control while internally relishing the inevitability of his scheme.

The Master strides out of the TARDIS in a tailored black suit and gloves, his presence dominating the sterile laboratory. He announces the transition to active execution with theatrical confidence, instantly shifting the dynamic from preparation to coercion by revealing his plan to drain the crystal of temporal energy.

Goals in this moment
  • To drain the Atlantean crystal of time energy using reverse interstitial flow
  • To coerce Krasis into active participation in his plan
  • To ensure the crystal’s transportability as a portable power source
Active beliefs
  • Time energy can be weaponized and commoditized through technological reversal
  • Krasis’s knowledge of Atlantis renders him useful, despite his hesitation
Character traits
Theatrical confidence Ruthless pragmatism Manipulative charm Controlling demeanor
Follow The Master's journey

Deep discomfort and confusion, caught between devotion to Kronos and fear of the Master’s manipulations.

Krasis stands bewildered in the laboratory, his priestly devotion to Kronos unsettled by the Master’s revelations. He voices concerns about safety and the potential return of Kronos, revealing his discomfort with the plan’s moral and cosmic implications.

Goals in this moment
  • To prevent the safety risks implied by the Master’s temporal reversal
  • To understand the ultimate destination and purpose of the plan
  • To protect the sanctity of Kronos and Atlantis
Active beliefs
  • Kronos must be honored as an independent force rather than a tool
  • Time and temporal rituals must not be meddled with by mortal hands
Character traits
Bewildered uncertainty Ethical unease Questioning tone Defensive posture
Follow Krasis's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Crystal of Kronos

The Atlantean crystal, previously a sacred relic, is transformed into a temporal battery by the Master’s reversal of interstitial flow. Its energy is drained to make it portable, removing its protective sanctity and repurposing it as a component in the broader plot against Kronos and time itself.

Before: Jagged and pulsing with erratic silver-blue veins of …
After: Depleted of much of its time energy, rendered …
Before: Jagged and pulsing with erratic silver-blue veins of energy, treated as a sacred relic under Krasis’s guardianship.
After: Depleted of much of its time energy, rendered a portable power source capable of being transported—its sacred aura fundamentally altered by temporal manipulation.
Master's Execution Attire

The Master’s black suit and gloves act as a visual and symbolic toolkit of control and intimidation. The severe attire underscores his shift from preparatory villainy to ruthless executioner, while the gloves emphasize precision and concealment in manipulating the crystal and the temporal reversal.

Before: Stored within the TARDIS, ready to be worn.
After: Worn during the scene, serving as a costume …
Before: Stored within the TARDIS, ready to be worn.
After: Worn during the scene, serving as a costume of authority and manipulation as he asserts command over both Krasis and the laboratory space.
The Doctor’s TARDIS

The TARDIS materializes in the Newton Institute lab, serving as a trojan device for the Master’s temporal gambit. Its sudden presence disrupts the sterile environment and symbolizes the intrusion of alien technology and temporal meddling into a scientific institution.

Before: A blue 1960s police box, externally aged and …
After: Its thresholds crossed by the Master, the TARDIS …
Before: A blue 1960s police box, externally aged and internally unstable, recently repaired but still mechanically unreliable, positioned outside normal space-time.
After: Its thresholds crossed by the Master, the TARDIS becomes a vessel for the next stage of his plan, with residual quantum energy lingering in the air.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Newton Institute Radiation Laboratory

The Newton Institute Radiation Laboratory is repurposed by the Master as a coercion chamber, where sterile science becomes the stage for temporal blackmail. Its flickering monitors and reinforced containment architecture frame the confrontation, while the scent of ozone mirrors the moral decay underlying the forbidden experiments conducted within.

Atmosphere Cold and sterile, with a looming moral weight that contrasts sharply with the clinical environment, …
Function Command center for the Master’s temporal gambit and site of coercive revelation
Symbolism Represents the corruption of institutional science by personal ambition and temporal tyranny
Access Restricted to the Master and his immediately coerced participant, with no external oversight
Flickering monitors casting sickly green light Acrid tang of ozone lingering from prior experiments Reinforced glass partitioning the workstations

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 3

"The Master's plan to control Kronos using the Atlantean crystal and seal (#1) directly informs his later plan to reverse the interstitial flow to drain time energy from the crystal (#2). Both beats reveal the Master's strategic adjustments to leverage Kronos's power more effectively."

Master blackmails Krasis into servitude
S9E23 · The Time Monster Part 3

"The Master's observation of UNIT men under attack by Roundheads (#1) directly leads to Krasis asking about their destination, which the Master confirms as Atlantis (#2), linking the temporal chaos to the Master's revised plan."

Master drops final gambit on UNIT
S9E23 · The Time Monster Part 3

"The Master's assertive dominance over Krasis in the Newton Institute laboratory (#1) is directly carried forward to his emergence from his TARDIS later (#2), where he continues to manipulate Krasis and outline his plans. This establishes the Master's persistent control over Krasis."

Master blackmails Krasis into servitude
S9E23 · The Time Monster Part 3

Key Dialogue

"MASTER: Right! Now we shall soon be ready to move."
"KRASIS: Master, he may return. The Mighty One may return."
"MASTER: Oh, fortunate Atlantis, to be blessed with such a courageous high priest. Never fear. Kronos will only return if I desire it."