The Enfolded Time (short story): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Story | {{Infobox Story SMW | ||
|main character = [[ | |main character = [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]] | ||
|setting = [[Brendon Public School]], [[1 January]] [[1990]] | |setting = [[Brendon Public School]], [[1 January]] [[1990]] | ||
|writer = | |writer = Andy Frankham-Allen | ||
|editor = | |editor = | ||
|anthology = | |anthology = The HAVOC Files (anthology) | ||
|release date = | |release date = 12 April 2016 | ||
|publisher = Candy Jar Books | |publisher = Candy Jar Books | ||
|format = | |format = | ||
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== Summary == | == Summary == | ||
After a New Year's gathering in his home on the grounds of [[Brendon School]], [[Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] is visited by a young man called [[Albert Wilson]]. Just as the two men are about to meet, Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself in an odd place where he encounters various versions of him, from the last twenty years. Including Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart of the Fifth Operational Corps and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of [[UNIT]]. They attempt to explain to him what is happening, but he finds it hard to follow. | After a New Year's gathering in his home on the grounds of [[Brendon School]], [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] is visited by a young man called [[Albert Wilson]]. Just as the two men are about to meet, Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself in an odd place where he encounters various versions of him, from the last twenty years. Including Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart of the Fifth Operational Corps and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of [[UNIT]]. They attempt to explain to him what is happening, but he finds it hard to follow. | ||
Eventually he meets [[the Accord]], a transdimensional being who is trying to repair the damage caused to [[Earth]], to strengthen it before a forthcoming war that is going to spread all across time and space. The Accord explains that, due to [[the Doctor]]'s regular visits to Earth from [[1969]] to [[1989]] in his [[The Doctor's TARDIS|damaged TARDIS]], the timeline of Earth was disrupted, enfolding time in on itself so that twenty years occurred over a ten-year period. Nobody on Earth was aware of the problem, as they were an intricate part of it. The Accord explains that once Lethbridge-Stewart is returned home, an awareness will occur across the globe. For a brief moment everybody will recognise the discontinuities of the last twenty years. | Eventually he meets [[the Accord]], a transdimensional being who is trying to repair the damage caused to [[Earth]], to strengthen it before a forthcoming war that is going to spread all across time and space. The Accord explains that, due to [[the Doctor]]'s regular visits to Earth from [[1969]] to [[1989]] in his [[The Doctor's TARDIS|damaged TARDIS]], the timeline of Earth was disrupted, enfolding time in on itself so that twenty years occurred over a ten-year period. Nobody on Earth was aware of the problem, as they were an intricate part of it. The Accord explains that once Lethbridge-Stewart is returned home, an awareness will occur across the globe. For a brief moment everybody will recognise the discontinuities of the last twenty years. | ||
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== Characters == | == Characters == | ||
* Brigadier [[Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] | * Brigadier [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] | ||
* Major [[William Bishop]] | * Major [[William Bishop]] | ||
* [[Albert Wilson]] | * [[Albert Wilson]] | ||
* [[The Accord]] | * [[The Accord]] | ||
== | == Worldbuilding == | ||
*The story says Lethbridge-Stewart left the UN in 1976, the year [[TV]]: ''[[The Seeds of Doom (TV story)|The Seeds of Doom]]'' | * The story says Lethbridge-Stewart left the UN in 1976, the year [[TV]]: ''[[The Seeds of Doom (TV story)|The Seeds of Doom]]'', the last UNIT story to say he was still in charge, came out. | ||
*One version of Lethbridge-Stewart dates [[TV]]: ''[[The Web of Fear (TV story)|The Web of Fear]]'' to 1975. [[Edward Travers]] said in that story that he'd met the Doctor in Tibet forty years ago, in a story [[TV]]: ''[[The Abominable Snowmen (TV story)|The Abominable Snowmen]]'' generally dated to 1935. | * One version of Lethbridge-Stewart dates [[TV]]: ''[[The Web of Fear (TV story)|The Web of Fear]]'' to 1975. [[Edward Travers]] said in that story that he'd met the Doctor in Tibet forty years ago, in a story [[TV]]: ''[[The Abominable Snowmen (TV story)|The Abominable Snowmen]]'' generally dated to 1935. | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
* This is the first appearance of Albert Wilson, the illegitimate son of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris]] | * This is the first appearance of Albert Wilson, the illegitimate son of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris Wilson]], following their brief encounter in Brighton in 1968. He grew up believing [[George Wilson (The Scales of Injustice)|George Wilson]] was his father until Doris revealed the truth shortly before the events of this story. | ||
== Continuity == | == Continuity == | ||
*One of the Lethbridge-Stewarts refers to coming from "second meeting about my retirement" in [[Geneva]] and missing the events of ''[[The Seeds of Doom (TV story)|The Seeds of Doom]]'', implicitly meaning his absence in [[TV]]: ''[[The Android Invasion (TV story)|The Android Invasion]]'' was due to the first meeting. | * One of the Lethbridge-Stewarts refers to coming from "second meeting about my retirement" in [[Geneva]] and missing the events of ''[[The Seeds of Doom (TV story)|The Seeds of Doom]]'', implicitly meaning his absence in [[TV]]: ''[[The Android Invasion (TV story)|The Android Invasion]]'' was due to the first meeting. | ||
* The [[Eighth Doctor]] had claimed responsibility to the [[UNIT dating controversy]], blaming it on [[temporal slippage]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Interference - Book Two (novel)|Interference: The Hour of the Geek]]'') | * The [[Eighth Doctor]] had claimed responsibility to the [[UNIT dating controversy]], blaming it on [[temporal slippage]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Interference - Book Two (novel)|Interference: The Hour of the Geek]]'') | ||
* The [[Gwanzulum]] once tried to infiltrate the [[Home-Army Fifth Operational Corps]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (comic story)|Planet of the Dead]]'') | * The [[Gwanzulum]] once tried to infiltrate the [[Home-Army Fifth Operational Corps]]. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (comic story)|Planet of the Dead]]'') | ||
* In [[1983]], Alistair met his younger self from [[1977]] and had his memories of encountering aliens restored. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mawdryn Undead (TV story)|Mawdryn Undead]]'') | * In [[1983]], Alistair met his younger self from [[1977]] and had his memories of encountering aliens restored. ([[TV]]: ''[[Mawdryn Undead (TV story)|Mawdryn Undead]]'') | ||
* The Brigadiers refer to his first kiss being with [[Jemima Barns|Jemima Fleming]], but due to the messy circumstances of it ([[PROSE]]: ''[[In His Kiss (short story)|In His Kiss]]'') they prefer to believe it was with Imelda Clarke, when they lived in [[Coleshill]]. | * The Brigadiers refer to his first kiss being with [[Jemima Barns|Jemima Fleming]], but due to the messy circumstances of it ([[PROSE]]: ''[[In His Kiss (short story)|In His Kiss]]'') they prefer to believe it was with Imelda Clarke, when they lived in [[Coleshill]]. | ||
* Due to the enfolded time, Alistair and the Brigadier remember the [[London Event]] happening in February 1969, while the Colonel remembers it from 1975; the Brigadier is retiring in [[1981]] while Alistair did it in 1976; Alistair mentions "all that business with the [[dinosaur]]s in [[1974]]", while the Brigadier remembers it in [[1979]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs (TV story)|Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'') | * Due to the enfolded time, Alistair and the Brigadier remember the [[London Event]] happening in February 1969, while the Colonel remembers it from 1975; the Brigadier is retiring in [[1981]] while Alistair did it in 1976; Alistair mentions "all that business with the [[dinosaur]]s in [[1974]]", while the Brigadier remembers it in [[1979]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs (TV story)|Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'') | ||
* Albert mentions that George Wilson had an older sister named [[Barbara Smith|Barbara]] who died in a car accident in [[1951]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)|The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith]]'') | * Albert mentions that George Wilson had an older sister named [[Barbara Smith|Barbara]] who died in a car accident in [[1951]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (TV story)|The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith]]'') | ||
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{{LS}} | {{LS}} | ||
{{TitleSort}} | {{TitleSort}} | ||
[[Category:2016 short stories]] | [[Category:2016 short stories]] | ||
[[Category:The HAVOC Files short stories]] | [[Category:The HAVOC Files short stories]] | ||
[[Category:Stories set in 1990]] | [[Category:Stories set in 1990]] | ||
[[Category:Stories set in England]] | [[Category:Stories set in England]] | ||
Latest revision as of 17:45, 5 November 2024
The Enfolded Time was a story which was original to the anthology The HAVOC Files. It asserted that due to the Doctor's frequent visits to the 1970s and 1980s in his faulty TARDIS, the two decades were merged into one and 20 years of Earth history took place over the course of 10 — thus providing an in-universe justification for the UNIT dating controversy.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
After a New Year's gathering in his home on the grounds of Brendon School, Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart is visited by a young man called Albert Wilson. Just as the two men are about to meet, Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself in an odd place where he encounters various versions of him, from the last twenty years. Including Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart of the Fifth Operational Corps and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT. They attempt to explain to him what is happening, but he finds it hard to follow.
Eventually he meets the Accord, a transdimensional being who is trying to repair the damage caused to Earth, to strengthen it before a forthcoming war that is going to spread all across time and space. The Accord explains that, due to the Doctor's regular visits to Earth from 1969 to 1989 in his damaged TARDIS, the timeline of Earth was disrupted, enfolding time in on itself so that twenty years occurred over a ten-year period. Nobody on Earth was aware of the problem, as they were an intricate part of it. The Accord explains that once Lethbridge-Stewart is returned home, an awareness will occur across the globe. For a brief moment everybody will recognise the discontinuities of the last twenty years.
Lethbridge-Stewart is returned to Earth, and for a short time forgets where he has been. He meets Albert Wilson and learns that Albert is his son, a result of his tryst with Doris back in Brighton in 1968. It is only recently that Albert learned of Lethbridge-Stewart, and now that he has his own child on the way, Albert wishes Lethbridge-Stewart to be part of their lives.
A phone call from the United Nations reminds Lethbridge-Stewart of his recent trip to the domain of the Accord. Discrepancies have been discovered in various UNIT reports. Lethbridge-Stewart arranges a meeting to discuss the development of new dating protocols.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart
- Major William Bishop
- Albert Wilson
- The Accord
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The story says Lethbridge-Stewart left the UN in 1976, the year TV: The Seeds of Doom, the last UNIT story to say he was still in charge, came out.
- One version of Lethbridge-Stewart dates TV: The Web of Fear to 1975. Edward Travers said in that story that he'd met the Doctor in Tibet forty years ago, in a story TV: The Abominable Snowmen generally dated to 1935.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This is the first appearance of Albert Wilson, the illegitimate son of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and Doris Wilson, following their brief encounter in Brighton in 1968. He grew up believing George Wilson was his father until Doris revealed the truth shortly before the events of this story.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- One of the Lethbridge-Stewarts refers to coming from "second meeting about my retirement" in Geneva and missing the events of The Seeds of Doom, implicitly meaning his absence in TV: The Android Invasion was due to the first meeting.
- The Eighth Doctor had claimed responsibility to the UNIT dating controversy, blaming it on temporal slippage. (PROSE: Interference: The Hour of the Geek)
- The Gwanzulum once tried to infiltrate the Home-Army Fifth Operational Corps. (COMIC: Planet of the Dead)
- In 1983, Alistair met his younger self from 1977 and had his memories of encountering aliens restored. (TV: Mawdryn Undead)
- The Brigadiers refer to his first kiss being with Jemima Fleming, but due to the messy circumstances of it (PROSE: In His Kiss) they prefer to believe it was with Imelda Clarke, when they lived in Coleshill.
- Due to the enfolded time, Alistair and the Brigadier remember the London Event happening in February 1969, while the Colonel remembers it from 1975; the Brigadier is retiring in 1981 while Alistair did it in 1976; Alistair mentions "all that business with the dinosaurs in 1974", while the Brigadier remembers it in 1979. (TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
- Albert mentions that George Wilson had an older sister named Barbara who died in a car accident in 1951. (TV: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith)
- A dating protocol is established for the enfolded time. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
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