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{{Infobox Short Story|
|image            = DWM 119 SS HALL OF MIRRORS.jpg
name=Hall of Mirrors|
|series           = ''[[Doctor Who Magazine|DWM]]'' short stories
series=[[Doctor Who Magazine|Doctor Who]]|
|doctor           = Sixth Doctor
doctor=[[Sixth Doctor]]|
|companions       = [[Peri Brown|Peri]]
companions=[[Peri Brown]]|
|main character    = [[Ademus]]
year=|
|featuring        =
writer=[[Alan Mckee]]|
|enemy            =  
publication= ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' [[DWM 119|119]]|
|setting          =
prev=|
|writer           = Alan Mckee
next=|
|editor            =
|}}
|illustrator      = [[John Ridgway]]
|publication       = ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' [[DWM 119|119]]
|anthology        =
|release date      = November 1986
|publisher        = Marvel Comics
|format            = 3 pages
|prev              = The Heat-Seekers (short story)
|next              = The Bird of Fire (short story)
}}
'''''Hall of Mirrors''''' was a ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' story of short prose form featuring the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown|Peri]].


== Summary ==
== Summary ==
The TARDIS has an unexpected power failure and makes a landing in a long endless corridor of mirrors. [[Sixth Doctor|The Doctor]] and [[Peri]] are surprised to find the apparently disconnected chameleon circuit is engaged and the TARDIS transforms into one of the many mirrors which Peri marks with her lipstick. The Doctor hears voices up ahead and they work their way through the maze of mirrors to a large empty hall with one single mirror. At a table in the middle of the room sat two similar but different looking people who both give their name as [[Ademus]]. The Doctor knows the name but cant remember anything else. Ademus explains that like them he was a traveller who has been trapped he goes on to say that the only means of escape and to free the TARDIS is to smash the mirror but he refuses to reveal why he can't. Managing to find his way back to the TARDIS again, the Doctor returns with a U.H.L.F. (a large sonic lance that he once picked up from Mars). As the Doctor switches it on and, pointing it at the mirror which starts to shimmer and warp - he suddenly stops. He tells Ademus that he needs something else from the TARDIS, but Ademus is not happy. Taking Peri with him, he explains who Ademus was - a dangerous man with tremendous powers who was finally stopped by the [[White Guardian]] who handed him back to his people who then imprisoned him. Ademus was imprisoned in a world of his own mind, a world given substance through a mental projection controlled by a semi-sentient machine that lies behind the mirror. The Doctor realises they are trapped. They can't leave without breaking the machine and if they do they will be trapped forever in the manifestation of Ademus' mind.
The TARDIS has an unexpected power failure and makes a landing in an endless corridor of mirrors. [[Sixth Doctor|The Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown|Peri]] are surprised to find the apparently disconnected chameleon circuit engaged. The TARDIS transforms into one of the many mirrors. Peri marks it with her [[lipstick]]. The Doctor hears voices up ahead and they work their way through the maze of mirrors to a large, empty hall with a single mirror.


Using the last reserves of power in the TARDIS the Doctor manages a short trip taking the TARDIS to the mirror where Ademus is waiting. The Doctor announces he has a means of freeing the TARDIS yet still leaving Ademus imprisoned. He produces a sphere that when wired up will absorb the power back from the mirror and channel it back to the TARDIS. But before the sphere can be connected Ademus fury is shown when he changes the reality of his world. Fighting his way through rain, wind, storms, and yawning crevices, the Doctor manages to connect the device. The Doctor hears Ademus' begging not to be left alone with himself, but leaves with Peri in the TARDIS, with Ademus left behind trapped in a world of the physical manifestation of his scizophreia and and the mirrors which reflected his sense of loss and confusion with himself.
At a table in the middle of the room sits two similar people who each gives their name as [[Ademus]]. The Doctor knows the name but can't remember anything else. Ademus explains that, like them, he was a traveller who has been trapped. The only way to escape and free the TARDIS is to smash the mirror, but he refuses to reveal why he can't. Finding his way back to the TARDIS, the Doctor returns with a U.H.L.F. (a large sonic lance that he once picked up on Mars). He switches it on and points it at the mirror, which shimmers and warps - he suddenly stops.
 
The Doctor tells Ademus that he needs something else from the TARDIS, but Ademus is not happy. The Doctor takes Peri with him. He explains who Ademus was — a dangerous man with tremendous powers. The [[White Guardian]], stopped him and handed him back to his people. They imprisoned Ademus in a world of his own mind, one given substance by a mental projection controlled by a semi-sentient machine behind the mirror. They are trapped. They can't leave without breaking the machine and if they do, they will be trapped forever in the manifestation of Ademus' mind.
 
Using the last reserves of power in the TARDIS the Doctor flies it to the mirror where Ademus waits. The Doctor announces he has a means of freeing the TARDIS, yet leaving Ademus imprisoned. He produces a sphere that when wired up will absorb the power from the mirror and channel it back to the TARDIS.
 
Before the sphere is connected, Ademus' fury is revealed. He changes the reality of his world. Fighting his way through rain, wind, storms and yawning crevasses, the Doctor connects the device. The Doctor hears Ademus' begging not to be left alone with himself, but leaves with Peri in the TARDIS. Ademus is left behind, trapped in the physical manifestation of his schizophrenia and and the mirrors, which reflect his sense of loss and confusion.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
* [[Sixth Doctor]]
* [[Sixth Doctor]]
* [[Peri]]
* [[Peri Brown]]
* [[Ademus]]
* [[Ademus]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* [[Peri]] carries lipstick.
''to be added''
* The [[White Guardian]] is credited for apprehending [[Ademus]] who is then handed over to his own people for punishment.
* The [[White Guardian]] can not kill.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
*''Hall of Mirrors'' was a ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' Short Story Competition Winning entry in the under 15 category and was was written by [[Alan Mckee]].
* ''Hall of Mirrors'' was a ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' Short Story Competition Winning entry in the under 15 category and was written by [[Alan Mckee]].
* [[John Ridgway]] provided the illustration of the [[Sixth Doctor]] fighting his way through the hostile environment created by [[Ademus]]' mind.
* [[John Ridgway]] provided the illustration of the [[Sixth Doctor]] fighting his way through the hostile environment created by [[Ademus]]' mind.
* Alan Mckee's prize was the accompanying artwork and a fully completed and painted [[Sevans]] model Dalek.
* According to [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]], the TARDIS' [[chameleon circuit]] has been disconnected, presumably after the unsuccessful attempts to repair it in ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'' and more recently at the time of ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]]''.
* The Doctor opens the TARDIS doors manually when the TARDIS is all but drained of its power. This was done in ''[[Death to the Daleks (TV story)|Death to the Daleks]]''.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* The TARDIS' [[chameleon circuit]] according to [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]] has been disconnected, presumably after the unsuccessful attempts to repair it in ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'' and more recently (at the time) in ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]].
''to be added''
* The Doctor manually opens the TARDIS doors when the TARDIS is all but drained of its power. A similar action was seen in ''[[Planet of the Daleks (TV story)|Planet of the Daleks]]''.


== Timeline ==
{{TitleSort}}
* This story takes place after [[DWY]]: ''[[The More Things Change]]''
* This story takes place before [[DWM]]: ''[[Power to the People]]''


{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:1986 short stories]]
[[Category:Sixth Doctor short stories]]
[[Category:Sixth Doctor DWM short stories]]
[[Category:Stories released in 1986]]
[[Category:DWM prose stories]]

Latest revision as of 22:46, 1 March 2024

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Hall of Mirrors was a Doctor Who Magazine story of short prose form featuring the Sixth Doctor and Peri.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The TARDIS has an unexpected power failure and makes a landing in an endless corridor of mirrors. The Doctor and Peri are surprised to find the apparently disconnected chameleon circuit engaged. The TARDIS transforms into one of the many mirrors. Peri marks it with her lipstick. The Doctor hears voices up ahead and they work their way through the maze of mirrors to a large, empty hall with a single mirror.

At a table in the middle of the room sits two similar people who each gives their name as Ademus. The Doctor knows the name but can't remember anything else. Ademus explains that, like them, he was a traveller who has been trapped. The only way to escape and free the TARDIS is to smash the mirror, but he refuses to reveal why he can't. Finding his way back to the TARDIS, the Doctor returns with a U.H.L.F. (a large sonic lance that he once picked up on Mars). He switches it on and points it at the mirror, which shimmers and warps - he suddenly stops.

The Doctor tells Ademus that he needs something else from the TARDIS, but Ademus is not happy. The Doctor takes Peri with him. He explains who Ademus was — a dangerous man with tremendous powers. The White Guardian, stopped him and handed him back to his people. They imprisoned Ademus in a world of his own mind, one given substance by a mental projection controlled by a semi-sentient machine behind the mirror. They are trapped. They can't leave without breaking the machine and if they do, they will be trapped forever in the manifestation of Ademus' mind.

Using the last reserves of power in the TARDIS the Doctor flies it to the mirror where Ademus waits. The Doctor announces he has a means of freeing the TARDIS, yet leaving Ademus imprisoned. He produces a sphere that when wired up will absorb the power from the mirror and channel it back to the TARDIS.

Before the sphere is connected, Ademus' fury is revealed. He changes the reality of his world. Fighting his way through rain, wind, storms and yawning crevasses, the Doctor connects the device. The Doctor hears Ademus' begging not to be left alone with himself, but leaves with Peri in the TARDIS. Ademus is left behind, trapped in the physical manifestation of his schizophrenia and and the mirrors, which reflect his sense of loss and confusion.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added