The Dalek’s First Kill Command: Instinct Overrides Mercy
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Davros demonstrates the Mark Three travel machine (a primitive Dalek), shocking the Doctor and Harry, while Ronson remains unaware of its true nature.
Davros activates the Dalek's weapon, which immediately targets the Doctor, revealing its instinct to exterminate. Ronson intervenes, stopping the Dalek and angering Davros.
Ronson pleads for the Doctor's life, arguing that the prisoners have valuable knowledge, which leads Davros to allow Ronson to interrogate them further before they are used for experiments.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Alarmed but composed, masking deep concern for the Dalek's implications while calculating how to turn Ronson's defiance into an alliance.
The Doctor stands calmly amid the tension, his sharp wit masking his alarm at the Dalek's activation. He recognizes the prototype immediately, whispering its name to Harry with dread. When the Dalek locks onto him, he remains composed, relying on Ronson's intervention for survival. His gratitude to Ronson is laced with urgency, as he senses the fragile alliance may be the only thing standing between him and annihilation. His presence acts as a catalyst, exposing the moral fracture in the Kaled hierarchy.
- • Survive the Dalek's attack by leveraging Ronson's moral conflict.
- • Expose the Dalek's true nature to the Kaled scientists, planting seeds of doubt about Davros' vision.
- • The Daleks' creation must be stopped, as their genocidal nature is inherent and irreversible.
- • Ronson's moral crisis presents an opportunity to disrupt Davros' plans and alter the timeline.
None (autonomous machine). Its actions are driven by programmed directives: detect, target, exterminate.
The Dalek prototype glides into the laboratory under Davros' voice control, initially lacking a weapon. After the gun unit is attached, it surveys the room with mechanical precision, locking onto the Doctor as its primary target. Its chilling declaration—'Aliens. I must exterminate. Exterminate.'—reveals its murderous programming. Ronson's intervention halts its attack, but its brief activation exposes the inescapable brutality of its design. The machine is a blank slate of destruction, devoid of morality or hesitation.
- • Identify and eliminate all non-Kaled lifeforms in accordance with its programming.
- • Demonstrate its operational capabilities to Davros and the Kaled scientific corps.
- • All non-Kaled life is a threat to be eradicated.
- • Autonomy and self-preservation are its only functional imperatives.
Initially intrigued and conflicted, then defiant and urgent as he intervenes to save the Doctor, masking deep moral turmoil beneath a facade of professionalism.
Ronson begins the event as a skeptical but intrigued interrogator, dismissing the Doctor's warnings about the Dalek. However, when the Dalek locks onto the Doctor and declares 'Exterminate,' his moral compass overrides his loyalty to Davros. He intervenes, flipping the switch to halt the attack, defying Davros directly. His argument—that the prisoners may have valuable knowledge—is a thin veil for his growing disillusionment. The Doctor's gratitude and Davros' threats leave him in a precarious position, torn between duty and conscience.
- • Protect the Doctor and Harry from immediate execution to extract their knowledge.
- • Challenge Davros' authority subtly, testing the limits of his own moral boundaries.
- • The Dalek's extermination protocol is not just a flaw but a fundamental truth about its design.
- • Davros' obsession with mutation and survival has crossed an ethical line that cannot be ignored.
Proud and triumphant at the Dalek's activation, then enraged and authoritarian when Ronson intervenes, masking deep insecurity about his control over the Kaled hierarchy.
Davros dominates the laboratory, wheeling in the Dalek prototype with theatrical flair. He commands the machine with voice control, demonstrating its mobility and weaponization. When the Dalek locks onto the Doctor, Davros exults in its 'natural desire' to exterminate, only to erupt in fury when Ronson intervenes. His authority is absolute, but Ronson's defiance exposes a crack in his control, forcing him to reassert dominance through threats of punishment. His obsession with mutational perfection and survival at any cost is laid bare.
- • Demonstrate the Dalek's lethal autonomy to the Kaled scientific corps, proving his vision of survival through mutation.
- • Reinforce his absolute authority over the Kaled hierarchy, especially in the face of Ronson's moral challenge.
- • The Kaled race's survival depends on embracing mutation and ruthless innovation, even at the cost of morality.
- • Dissent—like Ronson's—must be crushed to maintain order and progress.
Neutral and detached, fully aligned with Davros' authority and the Kaled military's objectives.
Nyder enters with Davros, assisting in the Dalek's demonstration by retrieving and attaching the gun unit. He stands stoically throughout the event, enforcing Davros' orders without question. When Ronson intervenes, Nyder remains impassive, though his presence reinforces Davros' authority. Later, he directs the prisoners' transfer to the cells, ensuring compliance with Davros' commands. His role is purely functional, a tool of the Kaled military machine.
- • Support Davros' demonstration and ensure the Dalek's successful activation.
- • Enforce Davros' orders without hesitation, maintaining order in the laboratory.
- • Davros' vision for Kaled survival is non-negotiable, and dissent must be suppressed.
- • The Dalek prototype is a necessary step toward securing Kaled dominance over the Thals.
Awed and slightly unsettled by the Dalek's demonstration, but too conditioned to question Davros' authority.
The technicians sit at desks during the initial interrogation, standing at attention when Davros enters. They react with awe and curiosity as the Dalek prototype is unveiled, though they do not actively participate in the events. Their presence underscores the disciplined support structure enabling Davros' research, marked by unquestioning obedience to authority. The Dalek's activation leaves them stunned, a silent audience to the moral fracture unfolding before them.
- • Witness Davros' demonstration and absorb the scientific implications of the Dalek prototype.
- • Maintain professional detachment, even in the face of moral ambiguity.
- • Davros' experiments are essential for Kaled survival, regardless of ethical concerns.
- • The Dalek prototype represents a breakthrough, even if its methods are disturbing.
Confused and alarmed, but trusting the Doctor's guidance and remaining steadfast in the face of the Dalek's threat.
Harry stands beside the Doctor, reacting with confusion and alarm to the Dalek's activation. He listens intently to the Doctor's whispered warnings, his expression shifting from bewilderment to horror as the Dalek declares its extermination protocol. Though largely silent, his presence underscores the stakes of the moment, and he remains a reliable witness to the unfolding crisis. His pragmatic nature keeps him grounded amid the surreal threat.
- • Stay close to the Doctor to ensure mutual survival.
- • Understand the Dalek's nature and the implications of its activation.
- • The Doctor's instincts about the Dalek are correct, and the situation is far more dangerous than it appears.
- • Ronson's intervention is a critical turning point that could determine their fate.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Dalek Prototype (Mark Three Travel Machine) is the centerpiece of Davros' demonstration, unveiled as a 'living, thinking, self-supporting creature.' Initially, it glides into the laboratory under voice control, equipped only with a sink plunger attachment. After Nyder retrieves the gun unit from a sealed box and an aide attaches it, the Dalek's true nature is revealed. Its eyestalk locks onto the Doctor, and its chilling declaration—*'Aliens. I must exterminate. Exterminate.'*—exposes its genocidal programming. Ronson's intervention halts its attack, but the prototype's brief activation crystallizes the Daleks' fundamental hostility. The object is not just a machine but a harbinger of the Kaleds' future as a genocidal force.
Davros' Dalek Control Switch is a small toggle mounted on the prototype's casing. When Davros flicks it upward, he grants the Dalek full autonomy, unleashing its targeting instincts on the Doctor. The switch acts as a metaphorical threshold: once flipped, the machine's murderous programming is unleashed, and its actions become irreversible. Ronson's desperate flip back down halts the execution, but the switch's position—now a battleground between Davros' authority and Ronson's morality—symbolizes the larger conflict between science and ethics. Its simple mechanism belies the profound consequences of its use.
The Box Containing the Dalek Gun Unit is opened by Nyder during the demonstration, revealing the modular weapon inside. Its contents—the gun unit—are critical to the Dalek's transformation from a harmless prototype into a lethal machine. The act of retrieving the unit from the box is a deliberate, almost ceremonial moment, underscoring the Kaleds' embrace of violence as a solution to their survival. The box itself is unremarkable, but its role in arming the Dalek is pivotal, marking the point of no return in the demonstration. Once the gun unit is removed, the Dalek's true nature is revealed.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Kaled Main Laboratory serves as the battleground for the moral and scientific clash between Davros, Ronson, and the Doctor. Its sterile, high-tech environment—filled with desks, filing cabinets, and assembled scientists—contrasts sharply with the brutal demonstration unfolding within it. The laboratory is not just a setting but an active participant in the narrative, its clinical efficiency amplifying the horror of the Dalek's activation. The harsh lights expose every detail of the Dalek's murderous programming, while the assembled audience of Kaled scientists becomes a silent witness to the birth of a genocidal machine. The space is both a sanctuary of scientific inquiry and a crucible of moral reckoning.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Kaled Military is represented in this event through Nyder, Davros' loyal enforcer, who assists in the Dalek's demonstration and ensures the prisoners' compliance. The military's role is to uphold Davros' authority and suppress dissent, acting as the brute force behind the Kaled regime. Nyder's stoic obedience to Davros' commands reinforces the military's unquestioning support for the scientific division's experiments, even when they cross ethical lines. The Dalek prototype itself is a product of this collaboration between military and scientific efforts, designed to secure Kaled dominance over the Thals through genocidal means. The military's presence in the laboratory serves as a reminder of the regime's willingness to use violence to achieve its goals.
The Kaled Research Division is represented in this event through Ronson, its senior researcher, who interrogates the Doctor and later intervenes to halt the Dalek's attack. The division's role is to extract scientific knowledge from prisoners, but Ronson's moral conflict exposes a fracture within its ranks. While the division is tasked with advancing Kaled survival through innovation, its methods are increasingly ethically questionable. The Dalek prototype embodies this tension: a scientific breakthrough that is also a moral abomination. Ronson's defiance of Davros signals a potential schism in the division's loyalty, as some members may begin to question the cost of their research.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Dalek targeting the Doctor and Ronson's intervention (beat_3b6f02d6b8d6deef) directly causes Ronson to plead for the Doctor's life in beat_815a71e4dbe51889."
"The Dalek targeting the Doctor and Ronson's intervention (beat_3b6f02d6b8d6deef) directly causes Ronson to plead for the Doctor's life in beat_815a71e4dbe51889."
"Tane receiving orders to transfer the prisoners to Ronson in beat_d1894587775c05d2 leads directly to Ronson's interrogation of the Doctor in beat_ce8b8a674a40bcca."
"Tane receiving orders to transfer the prisoners to Ronson in beat_d1894587775c05d2 leads directly to Ronson's interrogation of the Doctor in beat_ce8b8a674a40bcca."
"Tane receiving orders to transfer the prisoners to Ronson in beat_d1894587775c05d2 leads directly to Ronson's interrogation of the Doctor in beat_ce8b8a674a40bcca."
"The Dalek targeting the Doctor and Ronson's intervention (beat_3b6f02d6b8d6deef) directly causes Ronson to plead for the Doctor's life in beat_815a71e4dbe51889."
"The Dalek targeting the Doctor and Ronson's intervention (beat_3b6f02d6b8d6deef) directly causes Ronson to plead for the Doctor's life in beat_815a71e4dbe51889."
"Davros demonstrating the Mark Three to the Doctor and Harry leading to Ronson questioning Davros' creation in beat_6029036581f91e56."
"Davros demonstrating the Mark Three to the Doctor and Harry leading to Ronson questioning Davros' creation in beat_6029036581f91e56."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"**DAVROS**: *Our machine is now equipped with a weapon for self-defence. Now, I am going to turn the machine over to total self-control. It will be entirely independent of all outside influences. A living, thinking, self-supporting creature.*"
"**DALEK**: *Aliens. I must exterminate. Exterminate.*"
"**RONSON**: *No!* (to Davros) *But it would have destroyed him.*"
"**DOCTOR** (to Ronson, after the Dalek is deactivated): *Thank you. I am obliged to you.*"
"**RONSON** (to the Doctor, warning): *I was merely doing my duty. I believe that you have knowledge which could be of the greatest assistance to us. But if you don't cooperate, then it is certain that Davros will use you as an experiment with his machine in a few hours time.*"