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Updating links from Season 23 to Season 23 (Doctor Who 1963)
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m (Updating links from Season 23 to Season 23 (Doctor Who 1963)) |
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{{real world}} | {{real world}} | ||
{{Infobox Story | {{Infobox Story SMW | ||
|image = Business Unusual.jpg | |image = Business Unusual.jpg | ||
|series = [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]] | |series = [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures]] | ||
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|enemy = [[Nestene Consciousness]], [[Martyn Townsend]] | |enemy = [[Nestene Consciousness]], [[Martyn Townsend]] | ||
|setting = [[England]], [[1989]] | |setting = [[England]], [[1989]] | ||
|writer = | |writer = Gary Russell | ||
|publisher = BBC Books | |publisher = BBC Books | ||
|release date = | |release date = 1 September 1997 | ||
|format = Paperback Book; 5 Chapters, 277 Pages | |format = Paperback Book; 5 Chapters, 277 Pages | ||
|isbn = ISBN 0-563-40575-9 | |isbn = ISBN 0-563-40575-9 | ||
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== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
Called by [[Robert Lines]] to [[July]] [[1989]] by [[space-time telegraph]], [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]] thwarts the attempts of [[the Master]] and the [[Usurian Company]] to defraud the [[Dow-Jones]] and conquer the [[Earth]], but he needs a [[programmer]] to help him erase any and all information on the ordeal. He goes to [[Brighton]] to rest and spots [[Melanie Bush|Mel]], whom he has been avoiding meeting for some time in the hopes of averting the [[High Council]]'s creation of [[the Valeyard]], before heading back to [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] and feeling her [[United States of America|American]] friend [[Trey Korte]] unwittingly attempting to read his mind with latent [[esper]] abilities kickstarted by the TARDIS. | Called by [[Robert Lines]] to [[July]] [[1989]] by [[space-time telegraph]], [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]] thwarts the attempts of [[the Master]] and the [[Usurian Company]] to defraud the [[Dow-Jones]] and conquer the [[Earth]], but he needs a [[programmer]] to help him erase any and all information on the ordeal. He goes to [[Brighton]] to rest and spots [[Melanie Bush|Mel]], whom he has been avoiding meeting for some time in the hopes of averting the [[High Council]]'s creation of [[the Valeyard]], before heading back to [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] and feeling her [[United States of America|American]] friend [[Trey Korte]] unwittingly attempting to read his mind with latent [[esper]] abilities kickstarted by the TARDIS. | ||
The Doctor takes Trey by [[taxi]] to [[36 Downview Crescent]] after he collapses and tries to hurriedly leave upon realising that it is Mel's house, but she arrives before he can do so and, after initially taking a disliking to him, she agrees to be friendly and to help him with his [[computer]] problem. On the way to the [[police]], however, the Doctor spots a coded message indicating that [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]] is missing and contacts [[John Sudbury]], who informs him that the Brigadier vanished a month ago whilst investigating [[SenéNet]]. Mel, meanwhile, finds that the company have slimmed down the staff at [[Brighton Information Technologies]] since purchasing 49% of it and [[Luke Aspinall]], her friend and now boss, is cold to the touch and acting out of character. She resigns. | The Doctor takes Trey by [[taxi]] to [[36 Downview Crescent]] after he collapses and tries to hurriedly leave upon realising that it is Mel's house, but she arrives before he can do so and, after initially taking a disliking to him, she agrees to be friendly and to help him with his [[computer]] problem. On the way to the [[police]], however, the Doctor spots a coded message indicating that [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]] is missing and contacts [[John Sudbury]], who informs him that the Brigadier vanished a month ago whilst investigating [[SenéNet]]. Mel, meanwhile, finds that the company have slimmed down the staff at [[Brighton Information Technologies]] since purchasing 49% of it and [[Luke Aspinall]], her friend and now boss, is cold to the touch and acting out of character. She resigns. | ||
A [[Japan]]ese man who has been involved in producing [[video game]]s for SenéNet's [[Maxx]] console, is found dead near SenéNet's headquarters and the Doctor becomes increasingly suspicious. After Mel completes his task, he takes her to [[Nessie Burgers]], recently bought by SenéNet, where he collects one of each of the chain's plastic [[toy]]s and finds them cold even in the heat, just as Mel did Luke's hand. Mel is kidnapped on the way to SenéNet to find the Brigadier and is taken to [[Irma Krafchin]] at [[the Hospital]], where she finds both Trey and her mother, [[Christine Bush|Christine]], sedated and is chased by an [[Auton]]. With help from Lines and Mel's father, [[Alan Bush|Alan]], the Doctor learns that several children have been [[suffocation|suffocated]] by Nessie Burgers' toys, controlled thanks to the Maxx. | A [[Japan]]ese man who has been involved in producing [[video game]]s for SenéNet's [[Maxx]] console, is found dead near SenéNet's headquarters and the Doctor becomes increasingly suspicious. After Mel completes his task, he takes her to [[Nessie Burgers]], recently bought by SenéNet, where he collects one of each of the chain's plastic [[toy]]s and finds them cold even in the heat, just as Mel did Luke's hand. Mel is kidnapped on the way to SenéNet to find the Brigadier and is taken to [[Irma Krafchin]] at [[the Hospital]], where she finds both Trey and her mother, [[Christine Bush|Christine]], sedated and is chased by an [[Auton]]. With help from Lines and Mel's father, [[Alan Bush|Alan]], the Doctor learns that several children have been [[suffocation|suffocated]] by Nessie Burgers' toys, controlled thanks to the Maxx. | ||
The Doctor goes SenéNet and meets the managing director, the partially [[cyber-conversion|cyber-converted]] [[Martyn Townsend]], and his [[assassin]] and executive officer, [[Jones (Business Unusual)|Mr Jones]]. Townsend is not working with the [[Nestene]]s and intends to merge his consciousness into an Auton using Trey's powers and three [[Nestene sphere]]s, his plan to take over the world being solely to give himself something to do. Dr Krafchin, the human form of one of the spheres, brings Trey to Townsend to perform the merge whilst Mel is imprisoned with the Brigadier, but they are saved by former UNIT soldier [[Bryan Erskine]] who releases them and kills Mr Jones. Mel distracts [[Stalker (The Scales of Justice)|the Stalker]] so that the Brigadier and Erskine can find the Doctor and is reunited with her father and DI Lines. | The Doctor goes SenéNet and meets the managing director, the partially [[cyber-conversion|cyber-converted]] [[Martyn Townsend]], and his [[assassin]] and executive officer, [[Jones (Business Unusual)|Mr Jones]]. Townsend is not working with the [[Nestene]]s and intends to merge his consciousness into an Auton using Trey's powers and three [[Nestene sphere]]s, his plan to take over the world being solely to give himself something to do. Dr Krafchin, the human form of one of the spheres, brings Trey to Townsend to perform the merge whilst Mel is imprisoned with the Brigadier, but they are saved by former UNIT soldier [[Bryan Erskine]] who releases them and kills Mr Jones. Mel distracts [[Stalker (The Scales of Justice)|the Stalker]] so that the Brigadier and Erskine can find the Doctor and is reunited with her father and DI Lines. | ||
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* [[Ashley Moby]] | * [[Ashley Moby]] | ||
== | == Worldbuilding == | ||
* The Doctor reflects on people he is able to maintain friendship with through multiple incarnations, including [[Wilkin]], the [[St Cedd's College]] porter, and "that dotty Welsh beekeeper", presumably [[Goronwy]]. | * The Doctor reflects on people he is able to maintain friendship with through multiple incarnations, including [[Wilkin]], the [[St Cedd's College]] porter, and "that dotty Welsh beekeeper", presumably [[Goronwy]]. | ||
* The Brigadier considers video game characters the [[Mario Brothers]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog]]. | * The Brigadier considers video game characters the [[Mario Brothers]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog]]. | ||
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== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
[[File:The Chain of Commands.jpg|thumb| | [[File:The Chain of Commands.jpg|thumb|Original proof cover]] | ||
* This novel was | * This novel was originally titled ''The Chains of Commands''. After the cover proofs came back, people told [[Steve Cole]] that the title looked like a misprint. [[Gary Russell]] proposed new titles included ''Jeaux Sans Frontiers'', ''Games Without Frontiers'', and ''Business Unusual''.<ref>[https://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv51/garyrussell.html From Peladon to Placebos (TSV 51)]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020603133645/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/bus.html Gary Russel's Strange Matter: Business Unusual] (archived)</ref> | ||
* Despite the novel being set in [[1989]], British involvement in the [[Gulf War]] is mentioned. In the real world, the Gulf War took place in [[1990]]-[[1991]]. | |||
* This serves as [[the Brigadier]]'s introduction to this incarnation of the Doctor and functioned as the middle chapter of a trilogy which included the [[Third Doctor]] novel, ''[[The Scales of Injustice (novel)|The Scales of Injustice]]'', and [[Evelyn Smythe]]'s print introduction, ''[[Instruments of Darkness (novel)|Instruments of Darkness]]''. | * This serves as [[the Brigadier]]'s introduction to this incarnation of the Doctor and functioned as the middle chapter of a trilogy which included the [[Third Doctor]] novel, ''[[The Scales of Injustice (novel)|The Scales of Injustice]]'', and [[Evelyn Smythe]]'s print introduction, ''[[Instruments of Darkness (novel)|Instruments of Darkness]]''. | ||
* The novel revolves around a "problem" depicted in ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]''. There, the Doctor meets [[Melanie Bush|Mel]] for the first time. But ''that'' Mel is from the Doctor's personal future. Yet she departs the Time Lord trial room with him, despite the risk of meeting her younger self. The novel ''[[Time of Your Life (novel)|Time of Your Life]]'' had already explained that the Doctor took the Mel of ''The Ultimate Foe'' immediately back to her proper place in time (an event that is later chronicled in depth in the audio story ''[[The Wrong Doctors (audio story)|The Wrong Doctors]]''). In ''Business Unusual'', writer [[Gary Russell]] gave us the obverse of ''The Ultimate Foe'' — namely the young Mel's first encounter with the Sixth Doctor. However, now it is the Doctor who's out of synch with Mel. | * The novel revolves around a "problem" depicted in ''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]''. There, the Doctor meets [[Melanie Bush|Mel]] for the first time. But ''that'' Mel is from the Doctor's personal future. Yet she departs the Time Lord trial room with him, despite the risk of meeting her younger self. The novel ''[[Time of Your Life (novel)|Time of Your Life]]'' had already explained that the Doctor took the Mel of ''The Ultimate Foe'' immediately back to her proper place in time (an event that is later chronicled in depth in the audio story ''[[The Wrong Doctors (audio story)|The Wrong Doctors]]''). In ''Business Unusual'', writer [[Gary Russell]] gave us the obverse of ''The Ultimate Foe'' — namely the young Mel's first encounter with the Sixth Doctor. However, now it is the Doctor who's out of synch with Mel. | ||
* Much as [[Gary Russell]]'s follow-up novel, ''Instruments of Darkness'', contradicted the Big Finish audio history of [[Evelyn Smythe]], this novel treads heavily over the Big Finish history of [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]]. Both this novel and the audio story ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]'' chronicle the first encounter between the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier. However, since ''Spectre'' sees the Sixth Doctor explicitly express his surprise that the Brigadier recognises him, it may be that the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' deduced that this was a younger version of the Sixth Doctor to the one he had encountered in the past, with the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' and the Sixth Doctor in ''Business'' each acting as though they have not met the other 'before' in this incarnation to preserve the timeline and/or avoid awkward discussions. | * Much as [[Gary Russell]]'s follow-up novel, ''Instruments of Darkness'', contradicted the Big Finish audio history of [[Evelyn Smythe]], this novel treads heavily over the Big Finish history of [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]]. Both this novel and the audio story ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]'' chronicle the first encounter between the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier. However, since ''Spectre'' sees the Sixth Doctor explicitly express his surprise that the Brigadier recognises him, it may be that the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' deduced that this was a younger version of the Sixth Doctor to the one he had encountered in the past, with the Brigadier in ''Spectre'' and the Sixth Doctor in ''Business'' each acting as though they have not met the other 'before' in this incarnation to preserve the timeline and/or avoid awkward discussions. | ||
* This novel incorporates elements of the backstory that John Nathan Turner wrote created for Mel which sees her meeting the Doctor by assisting him in thwarting an attempt by Master to disrupt the global stock market. This backstory ended up being ignored in [[Season 23]] Mel doesn't recognise the Master when she sees him in ''The Ultimate Foe''. In order to address this inconsistency, this version of their first meeting sees the Doctor meeting Mel after he disrupts the Master's plans (without he Master even being aware of it) and helping him in the aftermath of it by using her coding skills. | * This novel incorporates elements of the backstory that John Nathan Turner wrote created for Mel which sees her meeting the Doctor by assisting him in thwarting an attempt by Master to disrupt the global stock market. This backstory ended up being ignored in [[Season 23 (Doctor Who 1963)|Season 23]] Mel doesn't recognise the Master when she sees him in ''The Ultimate Foe''. In order to address this inconsistency, this version of their first meeting sees the Doctor meeting Mel after he disrupts the Master's plans (without he Master even being aware of it) and helping him in the aftermath of it by using her coding skills. | ||
== Continuity == | == Continuity == | ||
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* [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/busi.htm The Cloister Library: '''Business Unusual'''] | * [http://mysite.science.uottawa.ca/rsmith43/cloister/busi.htm The Cloister Library: '''Business Unusual'''] | ||
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20020622165536/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/StrangeBusy.html Gary Russel's Strange Matter: '''Business Unusual''', author notes] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine] | * [http://web.archive.org/web/20020622165536/www.gary.dircon.co.uk/StrangeBusy.html Gary Russel's Strange Matter: '''Business Unusual''', author notes] via [http://www.archive.org/web/web.php Internet Archive: Wayback Machine] | ||
== Footnotes == | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
{{PDA}} | {{PDA}} | ||