Power to the People (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
{{Infobox Story SMW
{{Infobox Short Story|
|image      = DWM 114 SS Power to the People.jpg
story name=Power to the People|
|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]]|
|featuring  = [[God (mythology)|God]]
year=|
|setting    =  
writer=[[Ian Marchant]]|
|writer      = Ian Marchant
publication= [[Doctor Who Magazine]] [[DWM 114|114]]|
|publication = [[DWM 114]]
previous story=|
|cover date  = July 1986
next story=|
|prev        = The Legacy of Gallifrey (short story)
|}}
|next        = The Heat-Seekers (short story)
|release date= 12 June 1986
}}
'''Power to the People''' was a short story published in ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' [[DWM 114|114]]. It featured the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown]] meeting [[God (mythology)|God]]. Unusually, this was not eventually revealed to be some lesser alien entity posing as God, although the Doctor and Peri find what they learn about what God is and why He created the universe in the first place to be disturbingly mundane.


==Summary==
== Summary ==
While [[Sixth Doctor|the Doctor]] and [[Peri]] are in the TARDIS discussing 'what-if's' to do with collapsing time-streams, they are interupted by a voice of a being who claims to have "created the creator", a being who has had a guiding and protective interest over the Doctor that goes back to before he left Gallifrey. The 'being' claims to have made the Universe in a science lesson and placed a barrier around it to protect it from others of its kind (and itself). Halfway through its existance it would need to have its heart replaced and to this end he gave a [[Key to Time|Key]] into the charge of a Guardian of the Universe sealed inside. Unfortunately the Guardian split into two ([[Black Guardian|Black]] and [[White Guardian|White]]) and were too busy fighting each other to complete their purpose, and so the being had choosen the Doctor who he had watched out for that he would be able to complete the task and renew the Universe's Heart. The key to the Heart had already been used once before, having been collected by the Doctor (who having once held the Key retains the power to open the lock of the heart). The White Guardian once before had been given a dud key that only lasted a few years and not the intended half-life of the Universe. The time had come for the Heart to be replaced. With the Doctors agreement the TARDIS doors open on a place of grey, where passing through the door, avoiding dark rooms with walls of sharp teeth, and dark fears -an illusion of foes fought (Daleks, Cybermen, Davros and a postmistress from Littlehampton), they find on a pedesstal in an empty room a brown parcel. The underneath reveals a small hatch which has a number of rusty cylinders in it with the letters E,V,E,R,Y,R,E,A,D and Y barely visible. The Doctor replacies the old batteries with new ones he has been given and states aloud that this knowledge alone is dangerous. The being hears him and agrees ...<br>
The [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Peri Brown|Peri]] are in [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] discussing "what-if's" to do with collapsing time-streams. They are interrupted by a voice who claims to have "created the creator", a being who has had a guiding and protective interest in the Doctor that goes back to before he left [[Gallifrey]]. The being claims to have made the Universe in a science lesson and placed a barrier around it to protect it from others of its kind and itself. Halfway through its existence it needed to have its Heart replaced. To this end he gave [[Key to Time|a Key]] into the charge of a [[Guardian of Time|Guardian of the Universe]] sealed inside.
Back in the TARDIS the Doctor is trying to read a book but is interupted by Peri who wants to ask him something about Time - but she's forgotten what it was.


==Characters==
Unfortunately the Guardian split in two: [[Black Guardian|Black]] and [[White Guardian|White]]. They were too busy fighting each other to fulfil their purpose. The being has chosen the Doctor, whom he has watched out for, to complete the task and renew the Universe's Heart.
''to be added''


==References==
The key to the Heart had already been used, having been collected by the Doctor; having once held the Key, he retains the power to open the lock of the heart. The White Guardian once had been given a dud key that only lasted a few years, not the intended half-life of the Universe.
''to be added''


==Notes==
The time has come for the Heart to be replaced. With the Doctor's agreement, the TARDIS doors open on a grey place. The Doctor and Peri pass through the door and avoid dark rooms with walls of sharp teeth and dark fears, illusions of foes fought: [[Dalek]]s, [[Cyberman|Cybermen]], [[Davros]], and a postmistress from [[Littlehampton]] telling the Doctor he hasn't paid his stamp money. The fact that this last vision does not match to any of his own fears makes the Doctor suddenly realise that the illusions are simply an artificial, fallible defence mechanism. They find a pedestal in an empty room with a brown parcel. Underneath is a small hatch which has rusty cylinders in it with the letters E,V,E,R,,R,E,A,D and Y barely visible.
''to be added''


==Continuity==
The Doctor replaces the old [[Battery|batteries]] with new ones he has been given and states this knowledge alone is dangerous. The being hears him and agrees...
''to be added''


==External links==
Back in the TARDIS the Doctor is trying to read a book. He is interrupted by Peri, who wants to ask him something about Time — but she's forgotten what it was.
''to be added''
 
== Characters ==
* [[Sixth Doctor]]
* [[Peri Brown|Peri]]
* [[God (mythology)|God]]
 
== Worldbuilding ==
* Trying to understand [[bootstrap paradox]]es, [[Peri Brown|Peri]] makes up a hypothetical scenario about [[H. G. Wells]].
* One of the nightmarish visions the Doctor has is of [[Professor]] [[Findle]], one of his teachers at [[Time Lord Academy|the Academy]], chiding him for his tendency to "meddle".
 
== Notes ==
* This short story was the runner-up in the Over 15 Category in a competition run by ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' in 1986 and printed in [[DWM 114]].
* Written by reader Ian Marchant (who failed to enclose his address), the story ran to nearly three pages and was illustrated with two pictures by regular magazine artist [[John Ridgway]]. Illustrating the scene of the Doctor being frightened by psychic visions of his worst fears by the defences placed by [[God (mythology)|God]] around the "heart of the universe", it added a [[Zygon]], [[Draconian]] and [[Sontaran]] to the [[Dalek]]s, [[Davros]] and [[Cyberman|Cybermen]] mentioned in the text. On the other hand, it omitted [[Professor]] [[Findle]] and the fictitious postmistress.
 
== Continuity ==
* [[God (mythology)|God]] claims that he helped the Doctor when he [[The Doctor and Susan's escape from Gallifrey|first fled his homeworld in the stolen machine]], ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'') by jamming a guard's [[staser]] at a crucial moment. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Deadly Assassin (TV story)|The Deadly Assassin]]'')
* God also says that he was the one who arranged for the Doctor to recover his [[The Doctor's recorder|recorder]] at an opportune time while he was combatting "the threat of [[Omega]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Three Doctors (TV story)|The Three Doctors]]'')
* God and the Doctor discuss the Doctor's prior association with the [[White Guardian]] in the quest for the [[Key to Time]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ribos Operation (TV story)|The Ribos Operation]]'', etc.)
* This account claims that the Guardians were twin emanations of God, to whom he entrusted in the Key. The [[Scrolls of Gallifrey]] gave a similar explanation of the Guardians, though it named their originator and the builder of the Key as [[Rassilon]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Legacy of Gallifrey (short story)|The Legacy of Gallifrey]]'')


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[[Category:Sixth Doctor short stories]]
[[Category:1986 short stories]]
[[Category:Sixth Doctor DWM short stories]]

Latest revision as of 20:16, 3 November 2024

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Power to the People was a short story published in Doctor Who Magazine 114. It featured the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown meeting God. Unusually, this was not eventually revealed to be some lesser alien entity posing as God, although the Doctor and Peri find what they learn about what God is and why He created the universe in the first place to be disturbingly mundane.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Sixth Doctor and Peri are in the TARDIS discussing "what-if's" to do with collapsing time-streams. They are interrupted by a voice who claims to have "created the creator", a being who has had a guiding and protective interest in the Doctor that goes back to before he left Gallifrey. The being claims to have made the Universe in a science lesson and placed a barrier around it to protect it from others of its kind and itself. Halfway through its existence it needed to have its Heart replaced. To this end he gave a Key into the charge of a Guardian of the Universe sealed inside.

Unfortunately the Guardian split in two: Black and White. They were too busy fighting each other to fulfil their purpose. The being has chosen the Doctor, whom he has watched out for, to complete the task and renew the Universe's Heart.

The key to the Heart had already been used, having been collected by the Doctor; having once held the Key, he retains the power to open the lock of the heart. The White Guardian once had been given a dud key that only lasted a few years, not the intended half-life of the Universe.

The time has come for the Heart to be replaced. With the Doctor's agreement, the TARDIS doors open on a grey place. The Doctor and Peri pass through the door and avoid dark rooms with walls of sharp teeth and dark fears, illusions of foes fought: Daleks, Cybermen, Davros, and a postmistress from Littlehampton telling the Doctor he hasn't paid his stamp money. The fact that this last vision does not match to any of his own fears makes the Doctor suddenly realise that the illusions are simply an artificial, fallible defence mechanism. They find a pedestal in an empty room with a brown parcel. Underneath is a small hatch which has rusty cylinders in it with the letters E,V,E,R,,R,E,A,D and Y barely visible.

The Doctor replaces the old batteries with new ones he has been given and states this knowledge alone is dangerous. The being hears him and agrees...

Back in the TARDIS the Doctor is trying to read a book. He is interrupted by Peri, who wants to ask him something about Time — but she's forgotten what it was.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This short story was the runner-up in the Over 15 Category in a competition run by Doctor Who Magazine in 1986 and printed in DWM 114.
  • Written by reader Ian Marchant (who failed to enclose his address), the story ran to nearly three pages and was illustrated with two pictures by regular magazine artist John Ridgway. Illustrating the scene of the Doctor being frightened by psychic visions of his worst fears by the defences placed by God around the "heart of the universe", it added a Zygon, Draconian and Sontaran to the Daleks, Davros and Cybermen mentioned in the text. On the other hand, it omitted Professor Findle and the fictitious postmistress.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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