Doctor Who
S17E14
· Nightmare of Eden Part 2

Romana collapses after CET exposure

Romana stumbles unconscious in the lounge before Della finds her, sparking urgent questions about the CET machine’s influence. As Romana regains awareness, she admits to watching another projection alone despite Della’s earlier warning, revealing tension over trust and safety protocols. Her disorientation underscores the machine’s danger while Della’s immediate offer of assistance contrasts with the escalating sabotage aboard the Empress. This moment bridges Romana’s vulnerability with the larger conspiracy of poisonings and subterfuge. key_dialogue: [ DELLA: Romana! Are you all right? ROMANA: I don't know. I think so. ROMANA: Oh. I must have fainted. ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Romana is found unconscious on the floor, and Della discovers her, initiating concern for Romana's well-being.

concern to inquiry ['the floor of the lounge']

Romana and Della discuss the potential effects of the CET machine on Romana's condition, linking her fainting spell to the machine.

inquiry to concern

Della offers Romana a drink, showing care and concern for her recovery.

concern to comfort

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Romana
Time Lady
 primary

Humiliated but masking vulnerability with dry wit and deflection

Romana stumbles into the room unconscious but regains her footing as Della tends to her, her voice shaky as she confesses to ignoring Della’s explicit warnings about the CET machine’s projections. Her clinical poise cracks under the strain of her own recklessness.

Goals in this moment
  • • Downplay the severity of her collapse to maintain authority
  • • Justify her unauthorized use of the CET machine
Active beliefs
  • • The CET machine’s dangers are exaggerated by Della’s caution
  • • Her own judgment of machine safety should override protocols
Character traits
Defensive after admitting fault Disoriented but attempting composure Skeptical of machine safety assurances
Follow Romana's journey
Della Smith
Technical Assistant
 primary

Concerned yet exasperated, struggling between duty to assist and irritation at protocol violations

Della discovers Romana collapsed and responds with urgent care, promptly offering a drink to steady her colleague but her tone betrays pent-up frustration about Romana’s disregard for machine safety rules.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure Romana is physically stable and safe
  • • Confront Romana’s disregard for operational warnings
Active beliefs
  • • The CET machine is dangerous despite her assurances
  • • Romana’s recklessness risks genuine harm
Character traits
Professionally concerned but thinly veiled irritation Quick to act but restrained in confrontation Protective of machine operation integrity
Follow Della Smith's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
CET Machine

The CET machine’s projection flickers off as Romana regains consciousness, its residual heat implicated in her collapse. Romana references its interface as the source of her sudden feeling of heat, linking the machine’s electromagnetic output to physiological disruption.

Before: Operating, displaying unstable projections that induce heat sensations …
After: Inactive but with lingering energetic fluctuations proven harmful
Before: Operating, displaying unstable projections that induce heat sensations in users
After: Inactive but with lingering energetic fluctuations proven harmful
Poisoned Drink

Della uses a drink glass as a prop to soothe Romana, the act of offering it masking her underlying tension about Romana’s earlier machine exposure. The drink becomes a symbol of care in a tense, technical environment.

Before: Full drink glass on a nearby surface
After: In Romana’s possession as Della proposes it as …
Before: Full drink glass on a nearby surface
After: In Romana’s possession as Della proposes it as a remedy

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Empress Lounge

The cramped, low-ceilinged lounge serves as the scene of Romana’s sudden collapse and fragile recovery, its claustrophobic layout heightening the pressure as Della’s concern clashes with the room’s technological strain and unsteady atmosphere. The space is both intimate and oppressive, where personal failure and machine danger collide.

Atmosphere Tense and unsteady with a sense of latent danger fostered by the CET’s residual effects …
Function Recovery space turned confrontation zone for trust and protocol violations
Symbolism Represents the unintended consequences of scientific curiosity combined with institutional secrecy
Flickering ventilation grills reflecting the ship’s stressed systems Harsh lighting casting uneven shadows over Romana’s unsteady state

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph