I, Davros
2. Purity
 
 
2.Purity
Written by James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown
Directed by Gary Russell
Music, Sound Design and Post Production by Steve Foxon

Terry Molloy (Davros), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voices), Jenifer Croxton (Tech-Ops Ludella), Gary Hopkins (Radio Announcer), Lizzie Hopley (Yarvell), Carolyn Jones (Lady Calcula), Joseph Lidster (Kaled Officer), James Parsons (Major Brint), Gary Russell (Thal Officer), Peter Sowerbutts (Tutor Magrantine), John Stahl (The Supremo), Andrew Wisher (Tech-Ops Reston).


"We are Kaleds. We are more than a match for weak, tattered, crippled relics of the war."

Now approaching his thirtieth year, Davros is trying to get out of the Kaled military and into the Scientific Corps, determined to use his mind to create new ways to let the Kaled race survive the never-ending war with the Thals. But first, he must undertake a mission into Thal territory. A mission that will introduce him to technology and hardware he could only dream of. And it just might teach him a few life lessons too.

But however dangerous the Thal City might be, that is nothing compared to the scarred relics that inhabit the Wastelands... Wastelands that Davros and his team have to cross twice...


Notes:
  • This is the second audio in the I, Davros series, following the events of Innocence.
  • Released: October 2006

  • ISBN: 1 84435 232 3
 
 
 
 

The Daleks have listened to Davros's story and dismiss him as just an inferior child, but he believes he was more of a man than those who surrounded him. The Council of Twelve, busy passing their judgements in the House of Congress, never saw what was coming because they were too scared of his intelligence, aptitude and determination. It would be many years before the Supremo -- that weak, spineless individual who believed he ruled the city -- would finally enable Davros to realise his potential. Until then it was only Davros's mother who believed in him. The rest of them feared him, and they were right to do so...

Synopsis
(drn: 70'17")

In the weapons testing range, two Tech-Officers, Davros and Reston, are conducting experiments on equipment that will hopefully aid the Kaled soldiers in their struggle against the Thals. Unfortunately the tests are not going well and when the weapon starts to overheat Davros is forced to drop it. He was frustrated with the experiments anyway and this is the last straw, so he picks up what's left of the weapon and throws it towards Reston in disgust. The equipment is useless, obsolete junk -- the 'all-environments helmet' doesn't even operate properly in one environment, and the increased output needed to make the heat-seeking weapon work raises the temperature inside the gun to the point where it targets itself and blows itself apart. Davros is furious with the person who designed the weapon and thinks they should be dragged out of the Scientific Corps and shot, but Reston reminds him that resources are stretched and they have to work with what they're given. Davros's continual dreaming about being in the Scientific Corps isn't helping matters, but he insists he's wasted here. With his vision and ideas he believes he can do so much more for the Kaled people. He's already produced four improved designs for the weapons, but because he doesn't have the blessing of his superiors, no one in the Corps has ever seen them. Eventually he calms down and apologises to his friend. They prepare to send the damaged equipment back to the workshops, and Davros insists on labelling it as 'waste product'. Just then, an announcement comes through ordering Davros to attend the office of the Supremo immediately. Reston is concerned that his friend is in trouble, but Davros thinks it's more likely his abilities have finally been noticed. After he leaves, Reston mutters to himself that Davros's ego will one day be his undoing.

Davros is questioned by the Supremo about his time in the Military Elite, but he launches into a tirade, frequently interrupting the Supremo and complaining that his opportunities to study science were curtailed after the education centre was destroyed by Thal bombardments. He's now approaching his thirtieth birthday and he'd expected to be in the Officer Corps by now. The Supremo finally gets the chance to speak and explains that he's been reviewing Davros's pre-service records. His grades were generally superlative, especially in the fields of mathematics and the sciences, but one or two tutors criticised his attitude towards authority figures. Davros dismisses them as fools and claims he knows more than them. He believes he's only here because of parental mis-guidance, as his father's family have a long history of military service and he had no option but to follow in that tradition. The Supremo asks if he still has an interest in science, and Davros tells him that it's his passion and that he believes his abilities will be invaluable to the war effort. The Supremo has seen the papers on weapons improvement that Davros submitted to the military central office and is impressed by his suggested modifications to the H55 rocket and his speculations on the use of genetics. He says they've been keeping track of Davros' ideas for some time now. Davros is confident he can find a way to destroy the Thals and bring an end to the pain and suffering that the Kaleds have endured. The Supremo reveals that he has an opportunity that might interest Davros, one that will allow him to use his scientific skills in a way that could finally tip the balance of the war. The Kaled intelligence forces have learned that the Thals have been developing a new weapon, but the Supremo can reveal no more details until Davros agrees to undertake a mission. Should he succeed, his options for promotion would be considerably enhanced, and he may even find himself on a placement list for the Scientific Corps, albeit in a lowly position such as the recycling division. Davros doesn't hesitate to accept, but the Supremo orders him to go home and consider his position before making his final decision -- and not to discuss this conversation with anyone.

Davros's sister Yarvell is surprised to see him come home and wonders if he's ill. She tells him their mother is out buying more expensive art with which to impress her latest friends, and they both agree she can no longer afford to support such a lifestyle. Yarvell thinks Calcula still needs to feel important, but although Davros doesn't care much about money, he objects to it being wasted and finds Yarvell's argument fatuous. They return to an often repeated argument about the family money being held in trust under Davros's name, so he changes the subject to his sister's involvement with the peace movement. Yarvell insists that sooner or later the Kaleds are going to have to start negotiating with the Thals because if the war carries on much longer both races will destroy each other. She mentions the genocide against the Tharons and the Dals, which is now accepted as historic fact, but Davros dismisses extinct races as irrelevant. She reminds him of a time when he studied history and even kept a book about the Dals, but now he believes that the most important thing is to totally eliminate the Thals. She finds Davros frightening -- he's brilliant, certainly, but she believes he's become a dangerous psychopath and can see his arrogance bringing disaster. He describes himself as a realist and says his arrogance will not be the instrument of disaster, but of success. He dismisses the Thals as an inferior breed of mongrels, whereas the Kaleds have kept themselves pure, but Yarvell tells him there are ancient ruins to the North, discovered a few years ago, which show that the Kaleds and the Thals were once integrated and lived together in peace. Davros is momentarily speechless, then he dismisses her story as lies, invented by sick fantasists in need of therapy. Just then, Lady Calcula arrives home and greets Davros with delight. His visit is perfectly timed as she's just picked up her latest work, a painting that she commissioned herself. She proudly unwraps it and her children are shocked to find that it's a portrait of Davros. Yarvell complains that it makes her feel nauseous, but Calcula ignores her and asks Davros to stay for dinner. She wants to know everything he's been up to...

Later, Calcula, Davros and Yarvell relax together in the pool and realise it's been a long time since the family has been together. Calcula thinks things have been a little too peaceful recently; they're not going to win the war like this. Yarvell says people are starting to call this time 'the Unsigned Truce', but Calcula is getting sick of people saying they should enjoy the peace while it lasts. She regards the Thals as degenerates, but knows they're not fools; they'll have been using this time to regroup and develop new weapons. Davros agrees, and thinks the Kaleds should have been working harder to counter this threat; he blames the leaders for being content to sit back and wait. Yarvell brings the conversation back round to the family's lack of money and pleads with Davros again to release the trust fund that's held in his name. She accuses him of being selfish and an embarrassment to their mother, but Calcula says he could never be that. She concedes, however, that she's finding it difficult to make excuses for why he's not interested in finding himself a wife from among her friends' families. The terms of Nasgard's will prevent the family from accessing the trust fund until Davros gets married but he has no intention of doing that just yet. He also objects in principle to giving money to Yarvell to fund her "peace-hungry friends" as he believes his sister is more interested in her own political ambitions than in peace. He accuses her of appeasing the enemy and of negotiating away the Kaled future, but she counters this by saying he puts his thirst for victory above everything else. She says the Thals are willing to talk and so should the Kaleds be. Angrily, he tells her this isn't true and he's about to embark on a mission to destroy the Thals' newest weapon. He realises he's said too much, but it's too late. His mother, shocked, asks if it's dangerous, but Davros is under orders not to discuss anything; nevertheless, Calcula vows to use her contacts to find out more about the mission. Yarvell, upset, blames science for bringing their society to the brink of collapse and says both Calcula and Davros have only ever been interested in using science to destroy. Davros denies this and says his work will be dedicated to bringing the war to an end by ensuring the Kaled people live to see complete and permanent victory. Yarvell can no longer bear to be near her brother and she storms off angrily.

Calcula tells Davros that she's always known he was destined for greatness, but she doesn't want him to sacrifice his future by taking such a risk. He assures her she can rely on his survival instincts, and in any case he's sure the Supremo understands his value and wouldn't put him in any danger. Even so, Calcula can't bear the thought of losing her son and Davros realises that age is softening her. She tells him not to mistake her affection for weakness as she still has her cunning, her wit and her hatred for the enemy. Davros warns her to be careful as it would give the Thals a great morale boost if they killed such a high-profile politician, but she says it's more likely she'll be killed at the hands of an idiot Kaled councillor stabbing her in the back to achieve personal success and wealth. She says a great deal of wealth has been generated by this war, and she knows how she and Davros together can tap into it. He believes she's no different to Yarvell, wanting only to fulfil her political ambitions, but she says she just wants to guarantee Davros's rightful place in Kaled history. He points out the only way she and Yarvell will ever get their hands on the money in his trust fund is when he dies...

Reston is surprised that the Supremo agreed to Davros's recommendation that he join them on the mission. Davros believes Reston is the ideal choice because of his expertise in weapons development and his previous combat experience, but also because Davros wanted someone with him he could trust. They arrive at the designated meeting place within the Covert Operations section and realise they're probably the first Tech Division personnel ever to visit the area. The Supremo introduces them to their commander, Major Brint, and tells them that by attending the briefing they are undertaking to carry out the mission and never to divulge its nature or outcome to anyone else. Brint explains that three months ago, on a routine reconnaissance of the Thal positions beyond the mountains, he discovered a new weapons development facility. It's vast, heavily guarded and clearly a palpable threat to the Kaled people. Their job is to penetrate the facility, learn its secrets, steal any useful materials and then destroy it. Brint has assembled a team of six specially trained commandos armed with the best weapons at their disposal. Davros will be the top scientist on the mission and ranked second in command. He and Reston will learn all they can about the new weapon while the others lay charges and contain any enemies they encounter. There will be a diversionary attack on the Thals at midnight to give them cover to get to the facility. The Supremo insists the facility must be destroyed at all costs and they will all be regarded as disposable. Davros is surprised to be part of a suicide mission, but the Supremo says he doesn't consider it to be such and he wants them to return with Thal secrets if possible. Davros still has concerns and wonders why a more qualified member of the Scientific Corps isn't going, but the Supremo says none were available. Davros realises he is regarded as more expendable and considers refusing to go on the mission, but the Supremo makes it clear they've already agreed and the only way they'll be allowed to leave this room alive is if they head for the Thal lines. The Supremo leaves them to familiarise themselves with the mission document, and Reston sarcastically thanks Davros for getting him involved.

At midnight, Major Brint's group pauses on the edge of a minefield and watches as the diversionary attack begins. Davros is already concerned about the accuracy of the maps they're using, and believes they've already passed beyond the minefield, as no one has been blown up since Morveg a few hours ago. Reston was unhappy to leave Morveg's body behind, but they could hardly carry it with them. Brint goes to check on the others and as soon as Davros and Reston are alone they agree that he's rather lacking in authority. They're now hours behind schedule and the mission is fast turning into a catalogue of stupid and avoidable errors. Suddenly the group comes under attack by a Thal patrol and Brint orders them all to fan out to make themselves smaller targets, but then he immediately changes his mind and orders them to stay together so they can concentrate their fire. One of their group, Freen, is killed, and Davros realises they can't afford to lose any more people. He tells Brint they're a sitting target, but the commander is more concerned that Davros shows him respect in front of the others. Davros reminds him they need to make the lower heights of the mountains within the next few hours if they're to stand any chance of success, but Brint is worried by the number of Thal patrols they've encountered as the maps show this should be safe territory. Davros points out, not for the first time, that the maps are useless and he urges Brint to remember the route he took three months earlier. Davros starts to take command and the Major nervously accepts his advice.

The survivors of the group continue their long journey, but by the time they reach the mountains it's already nightfall and they're even further behind schedule. Brint says they need to find a way over the ridge, but Davros reminds him that there isn't one that won't add a week onto their mission. Brint ignores him and complains again about the number of Thal patrols they've encountered, and Davros agrees that it's odd -- it's almost as if they've been waiting for them. But apart from the Supremo, no one else knows they're out here. Reston spots another Thal patrol, consisting of eight soldiers, coming straight towards them, so Brint orders the group to leave immediately, but Davros overrules him and starts issuing different orders. The Major tries to seize back control, but Davros explains that they need to improve their odds. He suggests they lure the Thals into a narrow section, attack them from the rear and steal their uniforms.

The attack on the Thal soldiers is successful, but later Davros is frustrated when Major Brint orders yet another rest period. Davros was given a personal recorder for when they reach their objective, but Reston catches him using it to record a running commentary which he intends to use in a future inquiry into the "farce" of a mission. He believes Brint has no imagination and if he's the best the Kaleds have to offer then it's no wonder the war is at a stalemate. Brint's going to command them all to their deaths if they let him. Reston notes that here on the mountain it's the first time he's ever seen the stars as it's impossible to see them on the ground through all the filth in the sky. He also points to the two moons, Falkus and Omega Mysterium, and considers building a home here once the war is over, but Davros tells him he's dreaming and they're not here to admire the view.

The group has decided to wait until night before approaching the Thal base. From a distance they view the facility and discover things are not as they appeared in their original briefing. Brint shows them where the Thals are constructing at least a hundred long ramps, angled at about sixty degrees. Behind the ramps are the main production unit and research section. Getting inside obviously isn't going to be easy, so Brint decides they should simply destroy the facility without further investigation. He starts making preparations, but again Davros has other ideas and suggests he go into the base with Reston. Brint objects, but Davros points out that the operation is like nothing they've ever seen before and if his suspicions are confirmed, it will alter the course of the war. All he needs is one hour and they can achieve both parts of their mission briefing. Reluctantly Brint agrees, but warns that if he thinks there's any chance the mission will be compromised, he'll go ahead with blowing up the base regardless of Davros's position.

Davros and Reston get inside the secret research centre with surprising ease. Once past the defences, the place is almost deserted, and they soon discover the base contains a totally automated production line. There's not a slave worker in sight and the whole factory is one vast robotic machine run by computers. It's a remarkable technological achievement. Davros has a theory about what they're making here, but he needs to get down onto the floor to be certain. They look around and confirm that the factory is making advanced rockets capable of sustained flight and the ramps outside are obviously designed to launch the missiles. It's a ground-breaking design and the rockets are even capable of complex aerial manoeuvres in order to evade attack from the ground or the air. But the most worrying aspect of the design is the advanced computerised guidance system, which acts as an intelligent, thinking mechanical pilot, able to make judgements. What they've found here will be enough to destroy the Kaleds several times over. Reston starts taking images for later use while Davros examines the technology and provides a breakdown of the design on his recorder.

Reston finds an office containing financial information about the factory. He's discovered that about half of the entire Thal economy has been poured into this project, so destroying the complex would weaken them so badly it will take decades to recover. Reston and Davros are spotted by some Thals who order them at gunpoint to surrender their weapons and recording equipment. The senior officer destroys the evidence, but then surprisingly he addresses Davros by name. He places them under arrest and says they'll be tried and shot as spies -- but then suddenly the Thals are hit by a hail of bullets from Major Brint, who decided to come looking for his colleagues even though the agreed hour isn't up yet. For once, Davros is impressed that Brint has made an imaginative decision! Reston wants to retrieve as much information as they can from the research centre before they leave, but Brint refuses to allow them to stay any longer. The others in their group are outside keeping the Thals occupied but their priority now is to destroy the facility. Reluctantly, Davros and Reston have no choice but to obey.

Brint's group evacuate, and shortly after that there's an enormous explosion and the entire complex is completely destroyed; Davros had placed one of the bombs inside one of the Thal rockets. Brint is delighted that their mission has been successfully accomplished, but for Davros it was a wasted opportunity. He advises Brint to lead the group to safety as they're being pursued by some of the Thal survivors, but they no longer trust the maps. Davros believes the Thals will be expecting them to go back over the mountain, so he suggests that instead they should go round the northern end of the ridge and make their way through the wastelands. Brint is horrified as this area is uncharted and no one in their right mind would go through there, but that's exactly why Davros thinks it's the best idea. Brint is still unsure as he's heard rumours that the scavengers who live in the wasteland have been reduced to cannibalism in order to survive. Davros regards them as weak, crippled relics and believes their group should be more than a match for anything they encounter. The Thals are getting closer, and as Brint has run out of alternative ideas, they head off in the direction Davros indicated...

The group make their way through the wasteland and before long they get split up in the fog. They call out for each other and when they eventually meet up again, Davros rebukes Brint for abandoning them. They've already lost another of their group, a soldier named Vander, but the Major insists that while they still have half the Thal army breathing down their necks, they can't afford to keep stopping and looking for anyone that gets separated. They hear a strange noise and suddenly a terrifying plant-like creature with roots and spines looms out of the fog and attacks them. They open fire and the creature drops, but there's no easy way of telling whether it's dead or not. They examine the monster more closely, and see a human hand and then Vander's ID tag. It's evident this creature used to be Vander, but he must have transformed into a plant with astonishing speed. Davros identifies how the creature infects its prey and he prepares to collect some specimen samples for later examination. Brint is determined to leave the area as quickly as possible, especially when he sees more of the plant monsters, but Davros insists they have a responsibility to acquire as much data as they can. This could be just as important as what they learned back at the weapons factory. Brint starts to panic and insists they leave now, and when Reston tells him to shut up he becomes hysterical. The two Tech Officers turn on him and tell him he's made a spectacular mess of the mission and that his method of command has ended in the death of nearly every member of the team. There were snipers where they didn't expect them, Thals who knew they were coming, and Davros was even recognised at the factory. It's obvious the entire mission had been deliberately compromised... but by whom? Davros physically attacks Brint and demands to know what the Major's real orders were -- did they include killing him? Brint points out that he could have killed Davros at any time during the mission and he's done his best to keep everyone alive, and although he's made mistakes, this was his first field command and all he wants is for it to end. Brint hands command to Davros and then walks off into the fog. Davros collects together the other soldiers and tells them it's time they left.

Davros leads the remaining soldiers -- Reston, Timon and Gallus -- through the wasteland until they come to an area where the fog is starting to thin out. The deadly plant creatures seem to be everywhere but in the distance they can see the ruins of old buildings. Davros suddenly realises they must be near the ancient city Yarvell told him about earlier and he admits to himself that he owes her an apology. He tells Reston the ruins are all that's left of a decadent civilisation that deserved destruction. Nevertheless, the building should provide them with shelter for the night. It's not clear how the plant creatures track them, but since they don't appear to have eyes he assumes that once the daylight fades his group will be at a distinct disadvantage!

The group reaches the city and are relieved to see there are no plant creatures in the area, but somehow the atmosphere still feels wrong. Reston wants to leave, especially when he sees something at the end of one of the streets. Davros urges them to be quiet, but they hear nothing so he splits the team into two groups and they separate. Reston and Timon call out to Davros for support when they're surrounded by a group of scavengers wielding fearsome-looking spears. Reston starts firing warning shots into the air to demonstrate that they're better armed, but the scavengers continue to move closer, so the four reunited Kaleds are forced to retreat against a wall and form a defensive position. They open fire on their opponents, but the sheer number of attackers threatens to overwhelm them. Eventually, the superior firepower does the job and the scavengers are mown down, but both Timon and Gallus have been killed and the power pack in Davros's gun has completely run down. One of the scavengers is still alive and Reston uses his boot to turn him over -- to reveal the face of Magrantine, Davros's old tutor. It was half a lifetime ago that they last met and the boy has now grown up, but Magrantine will never forget the person who sealed him inside a radiation chamber and turned it to full power. If Magrantine had the energy he'd shred every cell in Davros' body, but there's nothing he can do as the two soldiers pick up his body and drag him inside the nearest building.

Davros tells Magrantine that if he has anything to say before he dies, he'd better make it brief. The plants that transmuted Vander remind Davros of something he read once and he wonders if Magrantine remembers too. The teacher never thought his student would end up in the military, especially as he appears to be in command. At first he refuses to talk to Davros, but he eventually explains that he calls the creatures Varga plants, from the old Dal word for "devourer," which he deciphered from one of the old wall paintings. They consume animal flesh to survive and reproduce, and the spines are filled with seeds. The mutation of their victims is startlingly quick and the plants themselves have evolved very rapidly due to the chemical and radioactive pollutants in the air. The original Vargas were poisonous, but rooted in the ground; now they hunt their prey rather than waiting for it to come to them. Davros realises their potential as weapons if they can increase their mobility through genetic development and it suddenly dawns on him that genetics may well be the key to a Kaled victory -- through genetic manipulation even a mollusc could be developed into a weapon!

Magrantine explains that after the incident in the radiation chamber, Lady Calcula's hired brutes dumped him outside the city with all the other waste. He nearly died, but managed to fight the pain even as his body mutated. He was eventually found by some of the other abandoned wretches who fed and nursed him as best they could. Since then, others have joined them, including deserters, the wounded and those mentally scarred by their combat experience -- in fact, everyone who was banished from the Kaleds' and the Thals' hermetically sealed cities. He then reveals it was the need for revenge that kept him alive. He's always dreamed of finding Davros and making him suffer, and if he had any strength left he'd happily kill him with his bare hands -- but unfortunately he doesn't even have the strength to spit at him. Davros thinks this is pathetic but fascinating. Magrantine's only hope is that one day Davros will find out for himself what it's like to live like this, and he hopes it will bring him just as much pain. Then Magrantine finally dies. Davros wakes up Reston, but tells him he hasn't missed anything of consequence.

Davros and Reston prepare to leave the ruined city, but find the area outside is swarming with Varga plants. They watch as the creatures start feeding off the bodies of the scavengers, absorbing them through their roots. If the plants have enough to keep them occupied, the two soldiers should be able to pass by as long as they don't disturb them. One of the Vargas turns to Davros and pleads with him to help, and they realise it's Major Brint. He begs them not to leave him like this, but Davros refuses to help and leaves.

Much later, Davros and Reston stop for a rest in the middle of a rain shower. Davros is sure it can't be much further before they reach the outer Kaled lines and he urges his friend to keep moving as this area is dangerous. Reston is exhausted and can't understand where Davros gets his stamina from, but his answer is that it's born out of a desire not to fail. He intends greater things from his life than expiring in a muddy hole in the wastelands. He pulls Reston to his feet and tells him they have to get back to tell the Kaleds what the Thals are planning. It's been days since they last ate and drank, but Davros demands that they put the mission first. Eventually Reston forces himself to go on, but he ignores Davros's warnings and climbs to the top of a nearby hill. He shouts out that he can see the city, but suddenly there's a burst of gunfire and he falls to the ground. Unlike Davros, he's forgotten that the automatic defence system is programmed to recognise Thal uniforms -- and they're still wearing their disguises from the enemy research centre.

Reston is still alive, but his legs are badly damaged and he can't walk. He begs Davros not to leave him for the scavengers and his friend offers to carry him the rest of the way. Reston realises this would slow them down too much and make them a sitting target for the snipers, but Davros says he's left it a little late to be a hero. Reston pleads with his friend to kill him and he offers Davros his pistol, saying he'd do the same for him if the situation were reversed. Davros can't understand anyone "wanting" to die as he intends to carry on living whatever happens. He believes it's their duty as Kaleds to survive, just as Magrantine did. He becomes angry with his friend, saying it's people like him that drag the Kaled race back into defeat. Until now he's always respected Reston, but now he knows he's just as weak as all the others. Davros doesn't need people like him in his life, so he takes the pistol and kills his friend.

Later, Lady Calcula visits Davros in the hospital. He was exhausted and dehydrated when he was picked up and she's so proud of him for surviving. He asks for his backpack and she tells him she made sure no one got hold of anything he was carrying. She tried to find out more about his mission, but although no one would tell her where he'd been, Davros tells her that someone else must have known about the mission as the Thals knew that he was coming. Calcula realises that Davros suspects she was the one who betrayed him and she insists she would never do that. He's taken aback by her protests, especially when she tells him he was born for greatness and she'd never let anything jeopardise that. Davros doesn't think the Supremo would betray him, but someone else close to him has been indiscreet for their own personal ambition. It must have been Yarvell. Calcula agrees that her daughter is afraid of Davros and sees him as a threat to her precious peace. Davros knows he's always had his differences with Yarvell, yet he can't believe she would betray him; but Calcula thinks they've all underestimated her. His sister doesn't know he's in hospital, so Davros asks his mother to tell her, and Calcula agrees to take care of everything for him...

As Yarvell swims in the pool of the family home, she listens to a message she recorded earlier on behalf of the newly formed Peace Confederation being broadcast on the radio. In the message, she stresses the importance of continued dialogue between the Kaleds and the Thals. She's surprised when her mother returns home and she proudly asks if she heard the broadcast, but Calcula ignores the question and tells her that Davros is dead. Yarvell is stunned by the news but tells her mother they must try to be practical as they have the funeral to arrange. Calcula explains that he was killed in action after going behind Thal lines and that the Thals knew he was coming, they knew his name, and they knew what he looked like. She asks Yarvell how they could possibly have known those details and points out that only the two of them knew he was going. She assures her daughter she can tell the truth now that Davros is dead, and Yarvell confesses that she thought he was starting to become dangerous. She regarded him as a fanatic and says he wasn't interested in peace, only in waging war. She can't accept that the destruction of an entire race is justifiable and she believes the Thals have as much right to this planet as the Kaleds. All she's trying to do is find a way to end this war, but all Davros wanted was to prolong it. She was worried that if he made it into the Science Corps he'd use his brilliant mind to make bigger and deadlier weapons. She admits that she told some of her contacts in the peace movement and they got a warning through to the Thals, but she never wanted Davros dead, just out of the picture. Calcula accuses her of trying to get her hands on the family money, and when Yarvell denies this, Calcula finally reveals that Davros is not dead. She says Yarvell is a danger to her son, just like Nasgard and Tashek were. They all had to be stopped and she dealt with them just as she's now going to deal with Yarvell. There's a struggle by the poolside, and Calcula forces her daughter's head under the water and holds it down until she's dead.

Calcula tells Davros that she found her daughter drowning in the pool, and that Yarvell's last words were that she loved her. Calcula tried to revive her, but Yarvell must have been in the water for too long and died in her arms. At least that's what she told the medical team -- it was just a tragic accident. Calcula has built up a solid foundation of people who will back her on the Council and any word of what Yarvell did could destroy her reputation -- and then there was Davros to think about. Davros suggests they prepare a cremation and issue a statement suggesting Yarvell was murdered by a Thal infiltrator within the peace movement who was bent on sabotaging her work for their own war-mongering ends. Davros promises to always protect his mother. Calcula also tells him that she met with her financial adviser and he believes he can get Nasgard's will overturned. There'll be more than enough money to support Davros when he enters the Scientific Corps and plenty left over for her too. She mentions commissioning a statue of some kind to house Yarvell's ashes, and Davros thinks this would be a fitting tribute.

Later, Davros prepares to begin work on the dead body of a female subject, aged 31. Her health was excellent and the cause of death was drowning. He leans over the body of his sister, and tells her that everyone has a secret and this will be his. He knows Yarvell always despised science and believed his work would destroy them, but she was wrong... and now it's time she made her own small contribution. He's going to combine strands of her genetic material with those of a Thal and a Varga spine. He believes it might give him the beginnings of a weapon greater than any their planet has ever seen. It's science that will win this war for them, science that will ensure their survival -- rational, logical, perfect, pure science! He bends down to make the first incision...

Source: Lee Rogers

Continuity Notes:
  • The saga continues in the next installment, Corruption.
  • Varga plants were introduced in Mission to the Unknown, and the reference to genetically manipulating a mollusc into a weapon may explain the creatures the Doctor and Harry encountered in the caves in Genesis of the Daleks.
 
 
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