From Eternity (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Short Story|
|range                  = Short Trips (series)
name=From Eternity|
|series in range        = Short Trips: Monsters
series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|ST short stories]]|
|series number in range = 9
doctor=Unspecified Doctor|
|number in series      = 2
companions=|
|doctor = The Doctor (From Eternity){{!}}The Doctor
year=|
|enemy=[[The Entity (From Eternity)|The Entity]]
writer=[[Jim Mortimore]]|
|Setting = [[Gallifrey]]
anthology=''[[Short Trips: Monsters]]''|
|writer=Jim Mortimore
prev=Best Seller (short story)|
|release date= 30 September 2004
next=Last Rites (short story)|
|anthology = Short Trips: Monsters
|}}
|series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|''Short Trips'' short stories]]
|prev = Best Seller (short story)
|next=Last Rites (short story)
}}
'''''From Eternity''''' was the second short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Monsters]]''. It was written by [[Jim Mortimore]]. It featured an [[The Doctor (From Eternity)|unspecified Doctor]].
'''''From Eternity''''' was the second short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Monsters]]''. It was written by [[Jim Mortimore]]. It featured an [[The Doctor (From Eternity)|unspecified Doctor]].
== Summary ==
== Summary ==
On behalf of the Time Lords, the Doctor interrogates a being responsible for deaths beyond counting. The entity believes itself to have been the first intelligence born into the Universe, and it spent aeons of darkness alone until it saw the first speck of physical matter come into existence. As further aeons passed, it saw the first stars blossom, and eventually it made contact with an intelligent species, only to see the species devolve into savagery, gradually becoming less sentient until all that was left was primordial ooze. When the same happened to the next Minds that the entity encountered, it concluded that this bizarre infection was built into the nature of the Universe, and, fearing that it would be alone for all of eternity, it tried to warn species of the danger they faced. When they failed to respond to the threat, the desperate entity tried to force them to do so by presenting them more immediate dangers. The first species it destroyed was the Iarcho, and many more followed until it finally learned the truth from the Time Lords: it perceives Time backwards, and has been witnessing evolution and progress in reverse. Unable to correct its past (or rather future) mistakes, the entity accepts that it has performed monstrous acts for which it can never atone, and accepts that it will spend the rest of its long life alone until it dies at the beginning of the Universe. But when this finally occurs, the entity discovers that this Universe is just one of many, separated by dimensional membranes that occasionally collide and interact, creating new Universes and new Minds whenever they touch. The entity is at peace, knowing that its long periods of loneliness are merely a phase that will be interspersed with moments of brief and intimate contact with other Minds.
The Doctor is interviewing an [[The Entity (From Eternity)|entity]] who has committed terrible crimes, the [[Time Lord]]s are aware of the entity, and its ultimate fate is in the balance.
 
The entity explains that, in its first experience with intelligent life, they were unable to establish contact, and the life eventually devolved into a primitive state, later followed by their sun's implosion.
 
When the entity next encountered intelligent life, the entity was able to establish contact, but once again the civilisation decayed and the sun imploded. It concluded that some kind of infection was at work; that of war.
 
The entity next contacted the [[Iarcho]]. It tried to warn them of the infection, of war, but they didn't take notice. It killed several of them as a warning, but still their society decayed; the entity destroyed their sun.
 
At this point the entity realised that for it [[time]] moved in reverse to the rest of the [[universe]]. What it saw as de-evolution was actually evolution.
 
It admits its guilt to the Doctor and hopes for redemption.
 
Time for the entity eventually progresses to the beginning of the universe, which was its end. Instead of nothingness, however, it experiences a new universe.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
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* [[The Entity (From Eternity)|The Entity]]
* [[The Entity (From Eternity)|The Entity]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
''to be added''
*The Entity asks the Doctor to define several words including [[parent]]s, [[promise]] and [[love]].
*The Entity doesn't know how old it is.
*The Entity states that it's impossible for the [[Time Lord]]s to put it under an compulsion or restraint.
*The Entity doesn't [[rest]].


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
* The Doctor, in an unspecified incarnation, is working with the [[Time Lord]]s as they interview a creature that goes through time backwards. This is either the [[First Doctor]] (before the events of ''[[An Unearthly Child]]''), the [[Second Doctor]] (following the events of ''[[The War Games]]'') or a future incarnation of the Doctor back on Gallifrey.
* The Doctor's incarnation is not clearly specified in this story. The only clues given are the Entity's description of the Doctor: "harshly, angular face" and "thumb-tucked arrogance".
* A version of the story was self-published by the author in the anthologies ''The Book of Shadows ''and ''The Sun in the Bone House''.
*This story is presented entirely from the Entity's point of view.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* The Doctor would later meet another entity which experiences time in reverse in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Room with a Deja View]]''. The Doctor, along with his grandchildren, would experience time in reverse himself in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Time in Reverse]]''.
* The Doctor would later meet another entity which experiences time in reverse in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Room with a Deja View (comic story)|Room with a Deja View]]''. The Doctor, along with his grandchildren, would experience time in reverse himself in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Time in Reverse (comic story)|Time in Reverse]]''.
* ''From Eternity'' occurs before [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lungbarrow]]'' (flashback).
* ''From Eternity'' (not counting flashbacks) occurs before [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Longest Story in the World (short story)|The Longest Story in the World]]''.


== External links ==
== External links ==
''to be added''
''to be added''
{{ST prose}}
{{TitleSort}}


{{prose stub}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Doctor Who short stories]]
[[Category:Stories with unknown or disputed Doctors]]
[[Category:Stories with unknown or disputed Doctors]]
[[Category:Stories released in 2004]]
[[Category:Short Trips: Monsters short stories]]
[[Category:ST short stories]]

Latest revision as of 21:22, 13 February 2024

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From Eternity was the second short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Monsters. It was written by Jim Mortimore. It featured an unspecified Doctor.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor is interviewing an entity who has committed terrible crimes, the Time Lords are aware of the entity, and its ultimate fate is in the balance.

The entity explains that, in its first experience with intelligent life, they were unable to establish contact, and the life eventually devolved into a primitive state, later followed by their sun's implosion.

When the entity next encountered intelligent life, the entity was able to establish contact, but once again the civilisation decayed and the sun imploded. It concluded that some kind of infection was at work; that of war.

The entity next contacted the Iarcho. It tried to warn them of the infection, of war, but they didn't take notice. It killed several of them as a warning, but still their society decayed; the entity destroyed their sun.

At this point the entity realised that for it time moved in reverse to the rest of the universe. What it saw as de-evolution was actually evolution.

It admits its guilt to the Doctor and hopes for redemption.

Time for the entity eventually progresses to the beginning of the universe, which was its end. Instead of nothingness, however, it experiences a new universe.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Entity asks the Doctor to define several words including parents, promise and love.
  • The Entity doesn't know how old it is.
  • The Entity states that it's impossible for the Time Lords to put it under an compulsion or restraint.
  • The Entity doesn't rest.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor's incarnation is not clearly specified in this story. The only clues given are the Entity's description of the Doctor: "harshly, angular face" and "thumb-tucked arrogance".
  • A version of the story was self-published by the author in the anthologies The Book of Shadows and The Sun in the Bone House.
  • This story is presented entirely from the Entity's point of view.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added