Milo reveals argonite’s power and time travel
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Milo explains that argonite in the spaceships attracts the copper needles, disrupting the computer guidance systems. This leads to a discussion about argonite and the Doctor clarifies they are visitors to this civilization and don't know what it is.
The Doctor clarifies that they travel in time and space. Milo expresses his interest, while Jamie mentions the fault in their "system." Milo then asks why they can't get dropped off at their space station.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
A mix of analytical curiosity and slight frustration, particularly with Milo's condescension. Her emotional state is grounded in her desire to understand the technical and scientific aspects of their predicament, even as the urgency of their situation mounts.
Zoe Heriot is thrown to the floor by Milo's sharp maneuvers but quickly recovers, asking technical questions about the copper needles and argonite with her characteristic analytical precision. She observes that the LIZ 79 is unaffected by the copper needles due to its tillium construction, demonstrating her sharp scientific mind. Her suggestion to make tea is redirected by Milo, who instead tasks her with calling him 'Milo' and engaging in his boastful explanations. She remains curious about the TARDIS's whereabouts and the argonite pirates' role in its disappearance.
- • To understand the scientific principles behind Milo's countermeasure and the properties of argonite and tillium
- • To gather information about the argonite pirates and their potential role in the TARDIS's disappearance
- • To maintain a pragmatic and cooperative demeanor, ensuring the group's survival and progress toward recovering the TARDIS
- • Technical knowledge and scientific reasoning are critical tools for navigating their current crisis
- • Milo's expertise and defiance of the Space Corps could be leveraged to their advantage
- • The TARDIS's recovery depends on understanding the broader conflict and the argonite pirates' involvement
A mix of anxiety and frustration, with a underlying sense of loyalty to the Doctor and Zoe. His emotional state is heightened by the immediate danger and the uncertainty of their situation, but he remains grounded in his desire to ensure their survival and recovery of the TARDIS.
Jamie McCrimmon is visibly anxious during the evasive maneuvers, expressing concern about the missile threat and questioning Milo's tactics. His frustration with the TARDIS's 'minor system fault' highlights his growing impatience with their predicament. He reacts to the broken teapot and Milo's suggestion to make tea, showing a mix of skepticism and practicality. His questions about the consequences of being caught by a Minnow Fighter reveal his protective instincts and desire to understand the stakes they face.
- • To ensure the group's safety amid Milo's evasive maneuvers and the Space Corps' threats
- • To understand the full extent of the danger they face and the consequences of being caught
- • To support the Doctor in recovering the TARDIS, even as he grows impatient with their current predicament
- • Milo's defiance of the Space Corps is both impressive and dangerous, requiring careful navigation
- • The TARDIS's recovery is their top priority, but their immediate survival depends on Milo's expertise
- • The Doctor's leadership and technical skills are essential, even if their current situation is frustrating
A mix of adrenaline-fueled defiance and boastful pride, masking a deeper urgency to escape Hermack's pursuit and protect his livelihood. His curiosity about the Doctor's time travel is genuine but overshadowed by the immediate threat.
Milo Clancey takes center stage as the tactical mastermind of the LIZ 79, deploying a cloud of copper needles from the ship's stern to jam the Minnow Fighter's argonite guidance systems. His sharp maneuvers throw the Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe to the floor, shattering a china teapot in the process. He engages in a verbal sparring match with the Minnow Fighter Pilot, dismissing the ultimatum with defiant sarcasm ('Ten seconds! The nerve of that green-horn'). After the successful countermeasure, he explains the science behind argonite and copper with a mix of pride and condescension, revealing his deep technical knowledge and disdain for Space Corps authority. His curiosity is piqued by the Doctor's admission of time travel, and he urges the group to flee before General Hermack sends more Minnows.
- • To evade the Minnow Fighter and Space Corps pursuit using his copper needle countermeasure
- • To assert his independence and technical superiority over the Space Corps, particularly General Hermack
- • To gather information about the Doctor's TARDIS and the time travelers' origins, sensing their potential usefulness
- • The Space Corps is corrupt and 'bone-headed,' unfairly targeting independent miners like himself
- • His technical knowledge and tactical innovations give him the upper hand in evasion and survival
- • The argonite pirates hold the key to recovering the TARDIS, making them a necessary ally or target for information
A blend of intellectual curiosity and pragmatic concern, with a underlying hope that Milo's knowledge might lead them back to the TARDIS. His emotional state is tempered by the urgency of their situation and the need to maintain trust with Milo.
The Doctor is physically jostled by Milo's evasive maneuvers but remains intellectually engaged, questioning Milo about the attack and the properties of argonite. His admission of time travel—'We don't come from this civilisation. We are visitors'—is a calculated reveal, sparking Milo's curiosity. He downplays the TARDIS's 'minor system fault' but expresses concern about its whereabouts, particularly when Milo mentions the argonite pirates. His hope for a drop-off at the space station is dashed, deepening the group's reliance on Milo's knowledge and resources.
- • To understand the nature of argonite and its role in the conflict, assessing its relevance to their predicament
- • To secure Milo's cooperation in recovering the TARDIS, leveraging his knowledge of the argonite pirates
- • To keep Jamie and Zoe calm and focused amid the chaos, ensuring their safety and trust in his leadership
- • Milo's technical expertise and defiance of the Space Corps could be an asset in recovering the TARDIS
- • The argonite pirates are the most likely source of information about the TARDIS's location
- • His companions' safety and well-being are paramount, even in the face of his own curiosity and urgency
Surface-level impatience and authority, masking a deeper sense of duty to carry out orders without question. His emotional state is driven by the need to enforce Space Corps protocols and achieve mission success, regardless of the personal stakes for those involved.
The Minnow Fighter Pilot serves as the vocal extension of General Hermack's authority, delivering ultimatums and counting down to missile strikes with cold precision. His authoritative tone and impatience reflect the Space Corps' zero-tolerance approach to defiance. His role is purely functional—issuing warnings and threats—but his presence escalates the tension and underscores the immediate danger the group faces. His countdown ('One, two, three...') creates a sense of urgency and impending doom, which Milo's countermeasure abruptly thwarts.
- • To compel Milo Clancey to surrender by any means necessary, including the threat of lethal force
- • To uphold Space Corps protocols and demonstrate the futility of resistance
- • To maintain communication and control over the pursuit, ensuring compliance or elimination of the target
- • Defiance of Space Corps authority must be met with swift and decisive action
- • The use of force is justified in the pursuit of justice and the protection of interstellar security
- • Mission objectives take precedence over individual circumstances or pleas for mercy
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The TARDIS is invoked as the group's ultimate goal and source of tension. The Doctor's admission of time travel and the TARDIS's 'minor system fault' sparks Milo's curiosity and sets the stage for their reliance on his knowledge of the argonite pirates. The TARDIS's absence looms large, driving the group's urgency to recover it and escape their current predicament. Its mention reinforces the stakes of their entanglement with Milo and the broader conflict over argonite.
The large lever in the LIZ 79's cockpit is the physical trigger for Milo's copper needle countermeasure. When Milo yanks it, the lever releases the cloud of needles from the stern, jamming the Minnow Fighter's guidance systems. The lever's activation is a dramatic and symbolic moment, representing Milo's quick thinking and technical prowess in the face of imminent danger. Its use underscores the ship's dual role as both a mining vessel and a tactical platform, capable of evading pursuit through innovative means.
The LIZ 79 serves as the mobile sanctuary and tactical platform for Milo, the Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe during this event. Its tillium hull and advanced systems allow it to withstand the violent maneuvers required to evade the Minnow Fighter. The ship's galley and cockpit become the stage for Milo's explanations of argonite and tillium, as well as the group's discussions about their next steps. The LIZ 79's resilience and adaptability are key to their survival, symbolizing Milo's independence and technical expertise. Its role as a refuge is reinforced by the broken china teapot, a casualty of the chaos, and the tillium pot Milo offers as a sturdy alternative.
The tillium metal pot in the LIZ 79's galley becomes a symbolic object representing the ship's resilience and Milo's practicality. When the china teapot breaks during the evasive maneuvers, Milo offers the tillium pot as a sturdy alternative for making tea. The pot's durability—mirroring the ship's tillium hull—highlights the material's importance in their survival and underscores Milo's resourcefulness. Its mention also serves as a teaching moment for Zoe, who notes that the ship's tillium construction explains why it was unaffected by the copper needles.
The guided missiles aboard the Minnow Fighter represent the immediate threat to the LIZ 79 and its occupants. The missiles are locked onto Milo's ship, with the pilot counting down to their deployment ('One, two, three...'). However, Milo's copper needle countermeasure jams the missiles' guidance systems, causing the pilot to abort the attack. The missiles' presence underscores the lethal stakes of the pursuit and the urgency of Milo's evasive actions. Their failure to deploy highlights the effectiveness of Milo's tactics and the strategic value of argonite in modern spacecraft.
The argonite scanner components in the Minnow Fighter are the critical vulnerability exploited by Milo's copper needles. The argonite's magnetic polarity for copper draws the needles into the fighter's guidance systems, causing them to malfunction and forcing the pilot to abort the attack. This interaction reveals the strategic importance of argonite in spacecraft technology and sets up future conflicts over its control. The argonite's properties are also a key point of curiosity for the Doctor and Zoe, deepening their understanding of the broader conflict and the stakes involved.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The interior of the LIZ 79 serves as the primary setting for this event, functioning as both a mobile sanctuary and a tactical command center. The cramped, lived-in cabin becomes a stage for Milo's sharp maneuvers, the deployment of copper needles, and the group's discussions about argonite, tillium, and the TARDIS. The galley, with its cupboards, utensils, and sputtering appliances, adds to the chaotic atmosphere, while the cockpit becomes the focal point for Milo's technical explanations and urgent decisions. The ship's tillium hull and resilient systems allow it to withstand the violent maneuvers, symbolizing Milo's independence and technical expertise.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The argonite pirates are the indirect antagonists of this event, invoked through Milo's explanation of their role in salvaging the TARDIS and other ships for parts. Their actions drive the broader conflict and create the urgency for the group to recover the TARDIS. Milo's admission that 'only the argonite pirates know that' [the TARDIS's location] sets them up as a necessary target for information, deepening the group's entanglement in his conflict. The pirates' presence looms as a shadowy force, exacerbating the tension and stakes of the pursuit.
The Space Corps is the antagonistic force driving this event, represented through the Minnow Fighter Pilot's ultimatums and the looming threat of General Hermack's pursuit. The Corps' zero-tolerance approach to defiance is embodied in the pilot's countdown to missile strikes and his unyielding demands for surrender. Milo's evasion and the group's entanglement in his conflict highlight the Corps' institutional power and the stakes of resisting their authority. The organization's pursuit of Milo and the TARDIS crew underscores the broader conflict over argonite and the safety of interstellar shipping lanes.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"MILO: My own invention, my little chickabiddy. Two tons of copper needles I just lay out beside me when one of those new-fangled spaceships gets too close for comfort."
"DOCTOR: Well, yes, yes. You've grasped the principle very well. We travel in time and space."
"JAMIE: Aye, it would be, if we knew where we were going to land up every time. DOCTOR: It's just a minor fault in the system. I shall put it right in time."