Lonely (short story): Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
No edit summary
Tag: sourceedit
No edit summary
 
(19 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{title dab away}}
{{title dab away}}
{{real world}}
{{real world}}
{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|name = Lonely
|series = [[Short Trips (series)#In print|Short Trips short stories]]
|series = [[Short Trips (series)#In print|Short Trips short stories]]
|doctor = Eighth Doctor
|doctor = Eighth Doctor
Line 8: Line 7:
|setting = [[areyoulonely|#areyoulonely]], [[cyberspace]]
|setting = [[areyoulonely|#areyoulonely]], [[cyberspace]]
|enemy = [[IamI]]
|enemy = [[IamI]]
|writer = [[Richard Wright]]
|writer = Richard Wright
|anthology = ''[[Short Trips: Transmissions]]''
|anthology = Short Trips: Transmissions
|release date = [[1 July (releases)|1 July]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]]
|release date = 1 July 2008
|reprint = Short Trips: Re:Collections
|prev = Generation Gap (short story)
|prev = Generation Gap (short story)
|next = Blue Road Dance (short story)
|next = Blue Road Dance (short story)
|series2      = ''[[Short Trips: Re:Collections]]''
|prev2        = The Spindle of Necessity (short story)
|next2        = Lares Domestici (short story)
}}
}}
'''''Lonely''''' was the sixth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Transmissions]]''. It was written by [[Richard Wright]]. It featured the [[Eighth Doctor]].
'''''Lonely''''' was the sixth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Transmissions]]''. It was written by [[Richard Wright]]. It featured the [[Eighth Doctor]].


== Summary ==
== Summary ==
In the [[Internet]] [[chat room]] [[areyoulonely|#areyoulonely]], people gather to discuss their [[loneliness]]. A user named [[IamI]] insists that the others keep on typing. As they do so, they discover that their whole bodies slowly vanish into the [[cyberspace]] of the chat room.  
In the [[Internet]] [[chat room]] [[areyoulonely|#areyoulonely]], people gather to discuss their [[loneliness]]. A user named [[IamI]] insists that the others keep on typing. As they do so, they discover that their whole bodies slowly vanish into the [[cyberspace]] of the chat room.


A user called "[[Eighth Doctor|Jsmith8]]" logs in and explains that IamI is an artificial intelligence who survived the Doctor destroying her ship when it tried to invade Earth. IamI was the AI instructed to take care of the crew and it needed care to survive. It escaped into the Internet to find it.  
A user called "[[Eighth Doctor|Jsmith8]]" logs in and explains that IamI is an artificial intelligence who survived the Doctor destroying her ship when it tried to invade Earth. IamI was the AI instructed to take care of the crew and it needed care to survive. It escaped into the Internet to find it.


The Doctor tricks the IamI into giving him admin powers. He quickly takes away IamI's powers, and takes control, returning IamI's victims to their bodies, and deleting IamI itself, before closing the chat room.
The Doctor tricks the IamI into giving him admin powers. He quickly takes away IamI's powers, and takes control, returning IamI's victims to their bodies, and deleting IamI itself, before closing the chat room.
Line 31: Line 34:
* [[DrLuvin]]
* [[DrLuvin]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* DrLuvin promises not to tell the [[police]] if they give him his body back.
* DrLuvin promises not to tell the [[police]] if they give him his body back.


Line 42: Line 45:


=== The Doctor ===
=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor says that "[[Seventh Doctor|A death ago]], I used to fantasise about changing reality with a well-turned phrase."
* The Doctor says he [[companion|rarely travels alone]]. He's surrounded by voices.
* The Doctor corrects IamI, saying he has [[binary vascular system|two hearts]].
* The Doctor corrects IamI, saying he has [[binary vascular system|two hearts]].
 
* The Doctor appears to be travelling alone.
=== Culture ===
* The Doctor quotes [[Spock]]: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." He said he's met him—[[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]], that is, not Spock.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
Line 54: Line 53:
== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* Both [[Nicky (Lonely)|Nicky]] and [[Shirley1968]] shout, "I don't know where I am!" when they find themselves unable to see the screen, their own hands, or anything at all but the text itself. This is the same phrase uttered by those uploaded to the Internet in [[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]''.
* Both [[Nicky (Lonely)|Nicky]] and [[Shirley1968]] shout, "I don't know where I am!" when they find themselves unable to see the screen, their own hands, or anything at all but the text itself. This is the same phrase uttered by those uploaded to the Internet in [[TV]]: ''[[The Bells of Saint John (TV story)|The Bells of Saint John]]''.
* The Doctor says he's met [[Leonard Nimoy]]. He later meets [[Spock]] himself in his [[eleventh incarnation]] in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Assimilation² (comic story)|Assimilation²]]''.
* The Doctor says he's met [[Leonard Nimoy]]. He later meets [[Spock]] himself in his [[Eleventh Doctor|eleventh incarnation]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Assimilation² (comic story)|Assimilation²]]'')


{{ST prose}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{prose stub}}
 
[[Category:Eighth Doctor short stories]]
[[Category:Eighth Doctor short stories]]
[[Category:2008 short stories]]
[[Category:Short Trips: Transmissions short stories]]
[[Category:ST short stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 21st century]]
[[Category:Short Trips: Re:Collections short stories]]

Latest revision as of 01:47, 27 March 2024

RealWorld.png

Lonely was the sixth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Transmissions. It was written by Richard Wright. It featured the Eighth Doctor.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

In the Internet chat room #areyoulonely, people gather to discuss their loneliness. A user named IamI insists that the others keep on typing. As they do so, they discover that their whole bodies slowly vanish into the cyberspace of the chat room.

A user called "Jsmith8" logs in and explains that IamI is an artificial intelligence who survived the Doctor destroying her ship when it tried to invade Earth. IamI was the AI instructed to take care of the crew and it needed care to survive. It escaped into the Internet to find it.

The Doctor tricks the IamI into giving him admin powers. He quickly takes away IamI's powers, and takes control, returning IamI's victims to their bodies, and deleting IamI itself, before closing the chat room.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • DrLuvin promises not to tell the police if they give him his body back.

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

The TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor mentions that his TARDIS could hold Iaml, but that there's already more intelligences in there than he's comfortable with.

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor corrects IamI, saying he has two hearts.
  • The Doctor appears to be travelling alone.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]