The former prison planet Varos, the future. The downtrodden population of miners are kept happy by real-life violence and murder broadcast live from the Punishment Dome. But then the TARDIS materialises inside the Dome...

The Governor forces the Doctor to tell him the true value of zeiton-7 but Sil attempts to derail his plans by subjecting Peri and Areta to an enforced mutation.

The Doctor's trial continues. The Valeyard's next piece of evidence for the prosecution concerns the Doctor's recent trip to Thoros Beta. Though originally investigating arms dealing, the Doctor and Peri become embroiled in their old enemy Sil's alarming neurological experiments...

The scientist Crozier keeps making empty promises and Yrcanos and Peri are seemingly betrayed by the addled Doctor who is sure the Matrix is being manipulated...

While the Doctor helps Dr. Crozier transfer Lord Kiv's brain into a new host skull, Peri accompanies King Yrcanos as he searches for the Alpha Resistance fighters whom he feels, most certainly, will follow him into glorious battle against the Mentors and the Doctor.

As the Possidor Ambassador visits, Sil is appalled to realise Crozier has selected Peri to be the Kiv's new host body - a move Yrcanos takes exception to with devastating results.