Balloon Debate (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story SMW
{{Infobox Story
|range                  = Short Trips (series)
|image=
|series in range        = Short Trips: Companions
|name=Balloon Debate
|series number in range = 2
|series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|ST short stories]]
|number in series       = 16
|main character=[[Sarah Jane Smith]]
|main character         = [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
|featuring=[[K9 Mark III|K9]]
|featuring             = [[K9 Mark III]]
|year=
|setting                =  
|writer=[[Simon A. Forward]]
|writer                 = Simon A. Forward
|anthology=''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''
|anthology             = Short Trips: Companions
|prev=The Canvey Angels (short story)
|release date          = 2 April 2003
|next=A Long Night (short story)
|series                = ''[[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]]''
|}}
|prev                   = The Canvey Angels (short story)
|next                   = A Long Night (short story)
}}
'''''Balloon Debate''''' was the sixteenth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''. It was written by [[Simon A. Forward]]. It featured [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[K9 Mark III]].
'''''Balloon Debate''''' was the sixteenth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''. It was written by [[Simon A. Forward]]. It featured [[Sarah Jane Smith]] and [[K9 Mark III]].
== Summary ==
== Summary ==
The various companions the Doctor has known have all been brought together onto a collapsing TARDIS for their protection. [[K9 Mark III|K9]] reveals that he can only support six of them surviving, and they each say their piece to democratically decide who lives after a suggestion by [[Mel]]. [[Adric]] dies in an accident. After a long series of debates (though Mel is not allowed to speak due to her positive attitude), the votes are tallied, and most of them die. In the aftermath, K9 reveals too much time has passed, and only two can survive. Another vote is held. The final survivors, [[Sarah Jane]] and [[Victoria Waterfield|Victoria]], are once again faced with a choice. K9 shoots Victoria, revealing her to be a disguised [[Kamelion]]. It's then revealed that this has all been a story Sarah has been writing in order to break her writer's block.
The various companions the Doctor has known have all been brought together onto a collapsing TARDIS for their protection. [[K9 Mark III|K9]] reveals that he can only support six of them surviving, and they each say their piece to democratically decide who lives after a suggestion by [[Melanie Bush|Mel]]. [[Adric]] dies in an accident. After a long series of debates (though Mel is not allowed to speak due to her positive attitude), the votes are tallied, and most of them die. In the aftermath, K9 reveals too much time has passed, and only two can survive. Another vote is held. The final survivors, [[Sarah Jane Smith|Sarah]] and [[Victoria Waterfield|Victoria]], are once again faced with a choice. K9 shoots Victoria, revealing her to be a disguised [[Kamelion]]. It's then revealed that this has all been a story Sarah has been writing in order to break her writer's block.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
* [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
* [[Sarah Jane Smith]]
* [[K9 Mark III|K9]]
* [[K9 Mark III|K9]]
* within Sarah Jane's story:
* within Sarah's story:
** [[Susan Foreman]]
** [[Susan Foreman]]
** [[Ian Chesterton]]
** [[Ian Chesterton]]
Line 45: Line 49:
** [[Ace|Ace McShane]]
** [[Ace|Ace McShane]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* In Sarah's story, most of the [[companion]]s make a plea for survival, but a few, namely [[Harry Sullivan|Harry]], [[Leela]], [[Jamie McCrimmon|Jamie]], [[Nyssa]] and [[Steven Taylor|Steven]], offer to sacrifice themselves.
* In Sarah's story, most of the [[companion]]s make a plea for survival, but a few, namely [[Harry Sullivan|Harry]], [[Leela]], [[Jamie McCrimmon|Jamie]], [[Nyssa]] and [[Steven Taylor|Steven]], offer to [[sacrifice]] themselves.
* In the story, Romana II mentions the [[Prydonian Academy]].
* In the story, Romana II mentions the [[Prydonian Academy]].


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
* Based on the characterisation of the other companions in her story, Sarah Jane appears to be intimately familiar with them. She is not known to have met, in any medium, any of the companions shown here other than Harry (''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', et. al.), K9 (''[[A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)|A Girl's Best Friend]]'', et. al.), Victoria ([[Downtime]]), and Jo (''[[Death of the Doctor (TV story)|Death of the Doctor]]'').  Further, she does not meet Jo for some time after this story's apparent setting, as she also fails to include [[Sam Jones]] (whom she met in ''[[Interference - Book One (novel)|Interference]]''), [[Rose Tyler]], [[Mickey Smith]] (both of whom she met in ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]''), [[Martha Jones]], [[Jack Harkness]], or [[Donna Noble]] (the latter three having been met in ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]/[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'').
* Based on the characterisation of the other companions in her story, Sarah Jane appears to be intimately familiar with them. She is not known to have met, in any medium, any of the companions shown here other than Harry (''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', et. al.), K9 (''[[A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)|A Girl's Best Friend]]'', et. al.), Susan, Tegan ([[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors)]], Liz, Jo, Ace (''[[Girls' Night In (short story)|Girls' Night In]]'', which also contradicts Jo and Sarah's first meeting in ''[[Death of the Doctor (TV story)|Death of the Doctor]]''), and Victoria (''[[Downtime (home video)|Downtime]]''). She also fails to include [[Sam Jones]] (whom she met in ''[[Interference - Book One (novel)|Interference]]''), [[Rose Tyler]], [[Mickey Smith]] (both of whom she met in ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]''), [[Martha Jones]], [[Jack Harkness]], or [[Donna Noble]] (the latter three having been met in ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]/[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]''), implying a setting before those stories.
* Sarah Jane also fails to include any companions exclusive to non-televised media, or any of the members of UNIT aside from Liz and Jo.
* Sarah also fails to include any companions exclusive to non-televised media, or any of the members of UNIT aside from Liz and Jo.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* In the story, Jamie mentions fighting for the [[Bonnie Prince Charlie|Bonnie Prince]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Highlanders (TV story)|The Highlanders]]'')
* In the story, Jamie mentions fighting for the [[Bonnie Prince Charlie|Bonnie Prince]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Highlanders (TV story)|The Highlanders]]'')


{{ST prose}}
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[[Category:Doctor Who short stories]]
[[Category:Sarah Jane Smith short stories]]
[[Category:Sarah Jane Smith short stories]]
[[Category:K9 short stories]]
[[Category:K9 short stories]]
[[Category:2003 short stories]]
[[Category:Short Trips: Companions short stories]]
[[Category:ST short stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in England]]
[[Category:Stories set in England]]

Latest revision as of 03:18, 13 March 2024

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Balloon Debate was the sixteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Companions. It was written by Simon A. Forward. It featured Sarah Jane Smith and K9 Mark III.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The various companions the Doctor has known have all been brought together onto a collapsing TARDIS for their protection. K9 reveals that he can only support six of them surviving, and they each say their piece to democratically decide who lives after a suggestion by Mel. Adric dies in an accident. After a long series of debates (though Mel is not allowed to speak due to her positive attitude), the votes are tallied, and most of them die. In the aftermath, K9 reveals too much time has passed, and only two can survive. Another vote is held. The final survivors, Sarah and Victoria, are once again faced with a choice. K9 shoots Victoria, revealing her to be a disguised Kamelion. It's then revealed that this has all been a story Sarah has been writing in order to break her writer's block.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]