The Cloud Exiles (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story SMW
{{Infobox Story|
|image        = Annual 1967 The Cloud Exiles.jpg
name=The Cloud Exiles|
|series       = [[Doctor Who annual|''Doctor Who'' annual]]
series=[[Doctor Who annual|''Doctor Who'' annual]]|
|doctor       = First Doctor{{!}}Dr Who
doctor=First Doctor|
|companions   =  
companions=|
|setting      = {{il|[[Earth]], [[2067]]|[[Planet (The Cloud Exiles)|Ethereal homeworld]]}}
year=[[Earth]], [[2067]]|
|writer       =  
writer=|
|anthology    = The Dr Who Annual 1967
publication=[[Doctor Who Annual 1967]]|
|release date = September 1966
prev=The Fishmen of Kandalinga (short story)|
|prev         = The Fishmen of Kandalinga (short story)
next=The Sons of Grekk (short story)|
|next         = The Sons of Grekk (short story)
|}}
}}{{prose stub}}
'''''The Cloud Exiles''''' was a short story published in ''[[The Dr Who Annual 1967]]''. It featured the [[First Doctor]].


== Summary ==
== Summary ==
The Doctor reluctantly dematerialises the TARDIS from Earth, [[2067]], but is amazed to find it rematerialising in a near-identical landscape of grass and clouds. Venturing outside, he soon learns that he has not returned to Earth, as the atmosphere is too thin to breathe. He dons an [[atmospheric density jacket]] and ventures out again to take a sample of a low-lying cloud, baffled as to how clouds can form in such an atmosphere. The cloud is incandescent with energy: it surrounds him and he loses consciousness.
[[First Doctor|Dr Who]] leaves [[Earth]] in [[2067]], but upon arrival, appears to land in the same place he left. He goes outside to investigate but discovers the [[atmosphere]] to be unbreathable.
 
He retrieves his [[atmospheric density jacket]] from ''[[The Doctor's TARDIS|Tardis]]'' and returns to study some unusual [[cloud]]s, which appear to be glowing. He attempts to take a sample of a cloud but discovers they are living [[Lifeform|organisms]]. The cloud envelops him and renders him unconscious.
 
When he regains consciousness, he is in a [[laboratory]] overseen by the cloud creatures, which are known as [[Ethereal (The Cloud Exiles)|Ethereals]]. Dr Who yells at his captors and discovers they are sensitive to loud [[sound|noise]]. The Ethereals reveal that they used to have solid bodies, but the [[Baggolt]]s, their robotic servants, rebelled against them and attempted to vaporise them. The experiment failed, instead leaving the Ethereals in a [[gas]]eous form.
 
To become solid beings once more, the Ethereals plan to use Dr Who as a [[mould]] from which to cast their new bodies. As the machine begins scanning him in preparation, Dr Who uses his [[the Doctor's signet ring|"super ring"]] to escape and disables their equipment. Rather than escape, Dr Who plans to help the Ethereals overthrow the Baggolts and regain their solid forms without the need for a mould.


He wakes to find himself largely paralysed in a laboratory, where several clouds are moving independently and talking. He shouts, and discovers the clouds are hypersensitive to loud noise. One approaches and he sees eyes in it. It explains that it is an [[Ethereal]]. Five eketrons ago, the humanoid Ethereals were turned into living vapour by their rebellious robots, the [[Baggolt]]s. This laboratory contains an epitomiser cubicle that will enable them to turn the Doctor into a mould for new humanoid bodies, a process he will not survive. The Doctor allows himself to be taken to the cubicle, where he is released from his paralysis; he uses his ring to unlock the cubicle, shouts to drive off the Ethereals, then disables the shape-changing machinery.
After several hours of work, the Ethereals are successfully returned to their solid forms. With the help of their leader, [[Mitzog]], Dr Who hatches a plan to enter the [[Baggolt]] brain-centre disguised as [[robot]]s.


To the Ethereals' surprise, he brushes aside their attempt to kill him, and works on the equipment so that it will return them to their original shapes without the need for a mould. When he is successful, the Ethereal leader, [[Mitzog]], offers him rulership of the planet, which he refuses, but pledges to help the Ethereals bring an end to the Baggolt rebellion. The Ethereals construct Baggolt casings to disguise themselves and the Doctor: they ambush a working party of Baggolts and, impersonating them, gain entrance to the capital city, [[Droog]]. The Doctor has constructed an egolectascope, which disables the Baggolts' alarm systems long enough for Mitzog and him to force entry into the brain-centre building. The Doctor produces rubber suits, protecting the two of them from the electric booby-traps inside. On entering the control room, Mitzog hurls himself on the back of [[Nalog]], Chief of the Robots, and while they are fighting, the Doctor discovers the master panel and switches it from 'Rebellion' back to 'Peace'. Mitzog disables Nalog and promises the Doctor that his name will be enshrined forever in the Annals of the Ethereals.
Upon reaching the capital city of [[Droog]], the disguised Ethereal force is mistaken for a robot mining party and easily slips through the guards. They cut a hole in the central fortress, attracting the attention of the robots, and fend them off as they near the control room of the Baggolts. Dr Who and Mitzog ambush [[Nalog]], the leader of the rebellion, in the control room, and Dr Who sets a switch on the master panel from "Rebellion" to "Peaceful", thus ending the rebellion.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
* [[First Doctor|The Doctor]]. He finds a peace and beauty on [[Earth]] that no other planet can offer.
* [[First Doctor|Dr Who]]
* [[Mitzog]]. The Doctor describes his attack on Nalog as the bravest thing he has seen.
* [[Mitzog]]
* [[Nalog]]
* [[Nalog]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
''to be added''
* Dr Who never goes exploring without [[specimen tubes]].


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
=== Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors ===
* This is the third of four stories in the ''Doctor Who'' annuals in which the Doctor encountered noise-sensitive aliens. The first two were ''[[The Monsters from Earth]]'' and ''[[The Fishmen of Kandalinga (short story)|The Fishmen of Kandalinga]]''; the next was ''[[Mission for Duh]]''.
* The Doctor is referred to as '''Dr Who''' throughout.
* As was almost universally the case in 1960s and 1970s prose fiction, the Doctor is interchangeably referred to as "Dr Who" and "the doctor", and the TARDIS is stylised as "''Tardis''".
* Illustrator Walter Howarth seems not to know what an Atmospheric Density Jacket looks like, as he makes no attempt to clothe the Doctor in one. He doesn't fancy drawing the Baggolt guards with the multiple arms mentioned in the text, either.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* The lock on the epitomiser cubicle seems to be similar to the TARDIS lock, as the Doctor's jewelled ring can open it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]'')
* Dr Who uses his [[the Doctor's signet ring|"super ring"]] to open the lock on the epitomiser cubicle. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'')
* The Doctor again wears an [[atmospheric density jacket]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Web Planet]]'')
* Dr Who again wears an [[atmospheric density jacket]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Web Planet (TV story)|The Web Planet]]'')
{{prose stub}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}


[[Category:First Doctor short stories]]
[[Category:Short stories set on Earth]]
[[Category:1966 short stories]]
[[Category:DWAN short stories]]
[[Category:Stories set on Earth]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2067]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2067]]
[[Category:DWAN 1967 short stories]]

Latest revision as of 16:16, 25 March 2024

RealWorld.png

prose stub

The Cloud Exiles was a short story published in The Dr Who Annual 1967. It featured the First Doctor.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

Dr Who leaves Earth in 2067, but upon arrival, appears to land in the same place he left. He goes outside to investigate but discovers the atmosphere to be unbreathable.

He retrieves his atmospheric density jacket from Tardis and returns to study some unusual clouds, which appear to be glowing. He attempts to take a sample of a cloud but discovers they are living organisms. The cloud envelops him and renders him unconscious.

When he regains consciousness, he is in a laboratory overseen by the cloud creatures, which are known as Ethereals. Dr Who yells at his captors and discovers they are sensitive to loud noise. The Ethereals reveal that they used to have solid bodies, but the Baggolts, their robotic servants, rebelled against them and attempted to vaporise them. The experiment failed, instead leaving the Ethereals in a gaseous form.

To become solid beings once more, the Ethereals plan to use Dr Who as a mould from which to cast their new bodies. As the machine begins scanning him in preparation, Dr Who uses his "super ring" to escape and disables their equipment. Rather than escape, Dr Who plans to help the Ethereals overthrow the Baggolts and regain their solid forms without the need for a mould.

After several hours of work, the Ethereals are successfully returned to their solid forms. With the help of their leader, Mitzog, Dr Who hatches a plan to enter the Baggolt brain-centre disguised as robots.

Upon reaching the capital city of Droog, the disguised Ethereal force is mistaken for a robot mining party and easily slips through the guards. They cut a hole in the central fortress, attracting the attention of the robots, and fend them off as they near the control room of the Baggolts. Dr Who and Mitzog ambush Nalog, the leader of the rebellion, in the control room, and Dr Who sets a switch on the master panel from "Rebellion" to "Peaceful", thus ending the rebellion.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This is the third of four stories in the Doctor Who annuals in which the Doctor encountered noise-sensitive aliens. The first two were The Monsters from Earth and The Fishmen of Kandalinga; the next was Mission for Duh.
  • As was almost universally the case in 1960s and 1970s prose fiction, the Doctor is interchangeably referred to as "Dr Who" and "the doctor", and the TARDIS is stylised as "Tardis".

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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