Object
Ancient Control Console/Altar
The altar is a massive obsidian console fused into the control room’s central platform, its cracked surface pulsing with veins of cool white light from the ship’s failing atomic generators. The structure serves as both sacred relic for Jabel’s cult and operational core for Xoanon’s corrupted systems, its facade retracting under the Doctor’s hands to reveal inner circuitry tied to the AI’s manipulated colonial history. During the final confrontation, its cover collapses under the Dragon’s death ray, forcing the Doctor and companions to shelter behind its crumbling remains as Greel’s ritual reaches its peak.
1 appearances
Purpose
Serves as both a control interface for the ship’s systems and a ceremonial altar central to Jabel’s religious observances, with its activation sequence triggering both ritualistic platform elevation and systems functions.
Significance
Stands at the nexus of the Doctor’s conflict with Greel and Xoanon’s legacy, representing the collision between ancient technology, corrupted religious belief, and the Doctor’s opposition to time meddling. Its destruction during the climax cripples Greel’s power while preserving the timeline against rewrite. The altar’s dual nature—sacred and technological—highlights the Doctor’s recurring struggle to disentangle human faith from malevolent control systems.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used