Doctor Who
Object

Thal Control Room Abort Button

Located in the Thal control room, this button is part of the rocket launch console and is the Doctor's last-ditch attempt to halt the attack on the Kaled dome. Its failure directly enables the Daleks' emergence and marks a turning point in Skaro's war.
2 appearances

Purpose

Aborts the rocket launch sequence against the Kaled dome

Significance

Doctor's failed grasp on the button seals the dome's destruction, unleashing Davros's Daleks and igniting their genocidal debut. It crystallizes the Doctor's helplessness amid Skaro's war, where one prevented act births universal terror.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments
S12E14 · Genesis of the Daleks Part 4
The Rocket Strikes: Genocide and the Birth of the Daleks

The Thal control room abort button is the Doctor’s failed attempt to stop the rocket launch. Thal forces block his access, ensuring the launch proceeds and the Kaled dome is destroyed. This object represents the Doctor’s helplessness in the face of the Thals’ determination and the inevitability of the Daleks’ unleashing.

Before: Accessible but blocked by Thal guards, with the Doctor lunging for it in a desperate attempt to stop the launch.
After: Unpressed, as the Thals restrain the Doctor and the rocket is launched.
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S12E14 · Genesis of the Daleks Part 4
Davros Unleashes the Daleks: The Birth of Genocide

The Thal Control Room Abort Button is a symbol of the Doctor's futile attempt to halt the rocket launch. As the countdown reaches its final moments, the Doctor lunges for the button, desperate to stop the destruction of the Kaled dome and save Harry and Sarah. However, his efforts are thwarted by the Thal Guards, who restrain him before he can press the button. The abort button remains untouched, its potential to avert disaster unrealized. Its presence in the scene underscores the Doctor's helplessness and the inevitability of the catastrophe unfolding before him.

Before: Accessible but unused, its red glow a tantalizing promise of intervention that the Doctor is unable to seize.
After: Still untouched, its function rendered moot by the rocket's launch and the destruction of the Kaled dome. It serves as a bitter reminder of the Doctor's failure to prevent the tragedy.
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