Object
Sorenson Expedition Automatic Distress Button
A compact, recessed mechanism embedded in the base’s rear compartment, its surface worn smooth by repeated use despite the months left unattended. The Doctor identifies it as a solar-powered distress beacon—its automatic activation draining the planet’s already-limited energy storage without sunlight to recharge the cell. Its hidden placement suggests deliberate concealment, perhaps to avoid accidental triggers during routine operations.
2 appearances
Purpose
An automatic distress signal device designed to send an emergency beacon to potential rescuers when activated, reliant on solar energy for continuous operation.
Significance
The distress button becomes the pivotal clue explaining the expedition’s power failure. The Doctor’s deduction—that it ran for months without sunlight—casts the abandoned base in a new light as a deathtrap and forces Sarah and the Doctor to confront the lethal reality of Zeta Minor’s unseen force. Its activation reveals Sorenson’s expedition was doomed by its own survival instinct.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used