The Resistance’s Uncertain Momentum: Gharman’s Desperate Gamble
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Harry and Sarah are pushed into a cell and meet Gharman, the former head of the Military Elite Scientific Corps, who was organizing a movement against Davros but was captured.
Gharman, surprised that Davros hasn't made mass arrests after he betrayed his co-conspirators, speculates that with ever moment Davros delays, the resistance movement grows stronger.
Gharman reveals his conviction that most Kaleds want the Dalek project to end and that if they act quickly, they could break Davros's power, expressing frustration that he can't get word to them.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
A volatile mix of frustration, hope, and existential dread—clinging to the belief that the resistance’s strength is growing, even as the evidence of their imprisonment suggests otherwise.
Gharman, disheveled and desperate, introduces himself as the former head of the Military Elite Scientific Corps, his voice laced with urgency and bewilderment. He reveals his failed coup and Davros’s betrayal, listening intently at the door for signs of movement outside. His dialogue oscillates between confusion ("I don’t understand") and defiant hope ("I know I am. Many of us believe that production of the Daleks must end"), revealing his internal struggle to reconcile his past authority with his current powerlessness. Physically, he is tense, his movements abrupt as he presses his ear to the door, symbolizing his desperation to reconnect with the resistance.
- • To convince Harry and Sarah (and by extension, the audience) that the resistance is gaining momentum and can overthrow Davros.
- • To understand why Davros has not acted against the rebellion, seeking to exploit any perceived weakness in his strategy.
- • The Kaled people are in the majority and will support the resistance if given the opportunity.
- • Davros’s delay is a tactical miscalculation that the resistance can exploit before the Daleks’ production becomes irreversible.
Cynically realistic, masking underlying frustration at the resistance’s perceived naivety and their own powerlessness in the moment.
Harry is pushed into the detention room alongside Sarah, immediately adopting a skeptical and pragmatic stance. He questions Gharman’s identity and authority, then challenges the feasibility of the resistance’s plans, grounding his skepticism in the immediate reality of their imprisonment. His dialogue reveals a cautious, no-nonsense demeanor, contrasting with Gharman’s idealism. Physically, he remains alert but constrained by the confined space, his posture likely tense and defensive.
- • To assess Gharman’s credibility and the viability of the resistance’s plans.
- • To temper Sarah’s and Gharman’s optimism with a dose of reality, given their current imprisonment.
- • The resistance’s movement is unlikely to succeed without significant external support or a clear strategic advantage.
- • Davros’s inaction is not a sign of weakness but likely a calculated delay to crush the rebellion more effectively.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Kaled Detention Room Door serves as a critical point of surveillance and tension in this event. Gharman presses his ear against it, listening for guards or activity in the corridor outside, amplifying the claustrophobic atmosphere of the room. The door symbolizes the barrier between the resistance’s fragile hope and the oppressive reality of Davros’s regime. Its solid metal construction underscores the physical and psychological confinement of the characters, while Gharman’s act of listening at the door highlights his desperation to reconnect with the outside world and his movement.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Kaled Detention Room is a cramped, oppressive space that mirrors the resistance’s precarious position. Its cold metal walls and confined dimensions create a sense of claustrophobia, reinforcing the characters’ physical and psychological constraints. The room serves as a microcosm of the broader conflict: a place where ideals (Gharman’s hope for revolution) clash with harsh realities (Harry’s skepticism and their shared imprisonment). The atmosphere is tense, with whispered conversations and urgent dialogue, as the characters grapple with the stakes of their situation. The room’s role as a meeting place for Gharman, Harry, and Sarah underscores its function as a catalyst for the resistance’s next moves.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Kaled Rebellion is the driving force behind Gharman’s defiance and the central theme of this event. Though physically absent, the rebellion is invoked through Gharman’s dialogue, which paints it as a growing movement with the potential to overthrow Davros. His insistence that the resistance is in the majority and that Davros’s delay is a tactical error reflects the rebellion’s ideological core: a belief in the power of collective action and moral right. The organization’s influence is felt through Gharman’s urgency and hope, as well as Harry’s skepticism, which highlights the internal tensions within the movement.
Davros’s Regime looms over this event as an unseen but omnipresent force. Its influence is felt through Gharman’s revelations about his failed coup, Davros’s betrayal, and the regime’s apparent inaction. The regime’s power dynamics are characterized by control, surveillance, and the threat of violent repression, as evidenced by Gharman’s fear of mass arrests and executions. The regime’s inaction, however, creates a paradox: it suggests either a calculated delay or internal instability, both of which the rebellion seeks to exploit. The organization’s presence is symbolic, representing the oppressive system against which the resistance is fighting.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Harry and Sarah's capture and meeting with Gharman (beat_15b5159f7f142ea5) directly leads to their eventual escape (beat_f42b6314a9ebc0b7) and the rebels' preparation for action."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"GHARMAN: *I was trying to organise a movement against Davros. He found out. Now, what's happening out there? Has there been any attempt to take away control from Davros?* SARAH: *Not that we know of.* GHARMAN: *Nothing?* HARRY: *He's still very much in charge.* GHARMAN: *I don’t understand. Davros tricked me into giving him the names of the group who were plotting against him. Have there not been mass arrests by now? Executions?*"
"GHARMAN: *Well, if that's true, he's being too clever for his own good. Every moment he delays, our movement grows in strength.* SARAH: *I hope you're right.* GHARMAN: *I know I am. Many of us believe that production of the Daleks must end. I believe now that we are in the majority. If we act soon, we can break his power.* HARRY: *We're not in much of a position to act at the moment, are we.*"
"GHARMAN: *If only I could get word to them now.*"