The Survivors

Dear Diary,

Chesterton returned, being unable to find Miss Wright, and so we all set out to find her. Amidst our explorations we heard a ticking sound coming from a room off one of the hallways. Inside we found a great amount of measuring equipment, which undoubtedly meant that we had stumbled upon an advanced society. Unfortunately for us, we found the ticking to be coming from a Geiger counter, which means the TARDIS readings were inaccurate and we have all been exposed to large amounts of radiation for the past day or so. This likely explains our exhaustion and general weakness. We are apparently suffering from radiation sickness brought about by what must have been a neutron bomb explosion at some point.

I realised we must get back to the TARDIS and admitted to Chesterton I had lied about needing Mercury for the fluid link. He snatched it from me and declared we could not leave without finding Miss Wright. About this time, we were set upon and surrounded by a group of strange machines. Fascinating creatures! They call themselves Daleks,  speak in a distinctive electronic monotone, and motor about on large gray metal cylinders, with domed heads and a large eye stalk. They are equipped with a sucker arm for grabbing and a type of ray device, which they immediately demonstrated by paralysing poor Chesterton. They forced us to a lift which must have descended miles below the surface, and led us to a holding cell where we were reunited with Miss Wright.

The Daleks brought me away for questioning, where they immediately assumed that I had been one of the “Thal” people coming into the city to look for anti-radiation drugs. I told them about the strange phials, which I now assume are anti-radiation drugs brought to us by someone, presumably one of these mutated Thals. I offered to lead the Daleks to the drugs, but they can not operate outside of the city. When I returned to the group, however, I collapsed from radiation. I was slipping in and out of consciousness as the others decided who among us would go. Poor Miss Wright fell asleep much like myself, and Chesterton still seemed unable to walk.

And so Susan was forced to venture into the strange jungle alone.

Based upon the teleplay by Terry Nation, first broadcast on BBC 28th December, 1963