The Decayed Master disguised his "new ship" as a Melkur, one of the evil creatures which were attracted to Traken by the power of the Source only to become calcified and immobilised. (TV: The Keeper of Traken) One of many TARDISes used by the Master, it may have been one of "the most advanced models in general use." (PROSE: CIA File Extracts)
Uniquely both for a TARDIS and for a Melkur, the Master's TARDIS gained the ability to walk like a humanoid after years of being tended to by Kassia. The Melkur could fire energy bolts from its eyes. The ship's control room was black with a control panel and two viewscreens connected to twin scanners in the statue's eyes, rather than the more common circular console; the Master also kept his grandfather clock inside the Melkur.
The Master maneuvered events to get the Melkur (and himself) elected the new Keeper of Traken. The Fourth Doctor confronted him inside the Melkur, where the Master had the control room keyed to his bio-rhythms so that if the Doctor moved he would die. The Master intended to deposit the Doctor's mind in his library while taking over his body, but Adric and Nyssa overloaded the Source, destroying the Melkur with the feedback due to its connection to the Source as Keeper. The Master was able to escape unscathed in his grandfather clock TARDIS. (TV: The Keeper of Traken)
Behind the scenes[]
- Geoffrey Beevers was credited as voicing the Melkur in The Keeper of Traken, as the Decayed Master is broadcasting his own voice from inside.
- The Melkur is only explained as the Master's "new ship," possibly indicating that it was intended to be Goth's TARDIS from his last appearance in The Deadly Assassin.
