Temporal grace

Temporal grace, or TG, (AUDIO: The Eleven ^[+]Loading...["The Eleven (audio story)"]) was the term used to describe the state in which the interior of TARDISes existed. Supposedly, it ensured no weapons could be used inside the Doctor's TARDIS. (TV: The Hand of Fear ^[+]Loading...["The Hand of Fear (TV story)"]) It was linked to the TARDIS's telepathic circuits, and when fully functional, it would negate all hostile and aggressive actions within the ship. (PROSE: The Bodysnatchers ^[+]Loading...["The Bodysnatchers (novel)"]) Temporal grace could also stabilise a being affected by time spillage, at least whilst they were within the TARDIS. (AUDIO: Interstitial ^[+]Loading...["Interstitial (audio story)"])

Uses of temporal grace

Temporal grace stopped Eldrad from using her powers. (TV: The Hand of Fear ^[+]Loading...["The Hand of Fear (TV story)"])

While temporal grace was actually switched on, Calvert's energy weapon was unable to fire within the Fourth Doctor's TARDIS. He tested this out, pointed away from the Doctor, as he claimed. (AUDIO: The Evil One ^[+]Loading...["The Evil One (audio story)"])

As part of his con to acquire the Blinovitch Limitation Effect Limiter and give the Fourth Doctor and Romana II the belief he had given the technology to "Sir Charles Kirkland," Drax had equipped a spaceship with temporal grace in order to prevent K9's blaster from working and pushing the Doctor into carrying out his part of the con. (AUDIO: The Trouble with Drax ^[+]Loading...["The Trouble with Drax (audio story)"])

Temporal grace prevented Sha'ol from firing his disruptor. (PROSE: Mission: Impractical ^[+]Loading...["Mission: Impractical (novel)"])

After the Seventh Doctor set off an explosion inside the SARDIT, he commented that the state of grace circuit still needed looking at. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible ^[+]Loading...["Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible (novel)"])

When nuclear missiles were launched on an alternate Earth, the Doctor materialised the TARDIS around the whole planet so that the temporal grace would prevent the missiles from exploding. (PROSE: Blood Heat ^[+]Loading...["Blood Heat (novel)"])

Temporal grace, in conjunction with the TARDIS's medical nanites, freed Annie Carpenter from being possessed by the Scourge. (AUDIO: The Shadow of the Scourge ^[+]Loading...["The Shadow of the Scourge (audio story)"])

Temporal grace prevented guns from being used against Nobody No-One, but since he was from another dimension (and as such, operated under different laws of physics), this did not apply to him. (AUDIO: The Word Lord ^[+]Loading...["The Word Lord (audio story)"])

Garundel's gun was prevented from working when he planned to shoot Sally Morgan. (AUDIO: Black and White ^[+]Loading...["Black and White (audio story)"])

The Eighth Doctor repaired the state of grace circuitry. When he drew several Skarasen into the TARDIS, he told his companions that the state of grace within the ship meant that the creatures couldn't harm them. (PROSE: The Bodysnatchers ^[+]Loading...["The Bodysnatchers (novel)"])

The Doctor later admitted to Sam that he had forgotten to reconnect the state of grace circuitry when they were faced with a fusion bomb the Daleks had planted. (PROSE: War of the Daleks ^[+]Loading...["War of the Daleks (novel)"])

Coordinator Farina had Agent Landa activate a TG field on the President's office to prevent the Eleven from using any weapons. (AUDIO: The Eleven ^[+]Loading...["The Eleven (audio story)"])

A temporal grace circuit was one of the first systems installed on the Crucible of Souls. The Eighth Doctor activated it to prevent the Nine from using the regen gun. (AUDIO: The Crucible of Souls ^[+]Loading...["The Crucible of Souls (audio story)"])

During the Last Great Time War, temporal grace prevented Gardezza native Osen from shooting the War Master in his TARDIS. (AUDIO: Beneath the Viscoid ^[+]Loading...["Beneath the Viscoid (audio story)"])

According to the Thirteenth Doctor, Dr Leon Perkins' gun was neutralised by the TARDIS the moment he stepped in. (COMIC: A New Beginning ^[+]Loading...["A New Beginning (comic story)"])

In another universe, General Sontar tried to kill the Doctor by breaking his neck, but he survived due to the TARDIS's state of grace. Sontar also tried to kill the Rutan ambassador and vice versa in a multitude of different ways but they wouldn't die. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors ^[+]Loading...["The Infinity Doctors (novel)"])

Failures of temporal grace

According to the Sixth Doctor, temporal grace only worked "while the engines [were] running." (COMIC: Changes ^[+]Loading...["Changes (comic story)"])

Nyssa asked the Fifth Doctor about temporal grace not stopping the Cybermen from firing weapons inside the TARDIS, but he only replied, "Nobody's perfect." (TV: Arc of Infinity ^[+]Loading...["Arc of Infinity (TV story)"]) Ace also questioned the Doctor about temporal grace after the interior nearly disintegrated. (PROSE: Blood Heat ^[+]Loading...["Blood Heat (novel)"])

The Fourth Doctor revealed that temporal grace was not always switched on. (AUDIO: The Evil One ^[+]Loading...["The Evil One (audio story)"])

After Mels shot the TARDIS console, the Eleventh Doctor admitted that the presence of temporal grace in the TARDIS was (at least, at that point) a "clever lie". (TV: Let's Kill Hitler ^[+]Loading...["Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)"])

Sontarans, (TV: The Invasion of Time ^[+]Loading...["The Invasion of Time (TV story)"]) Cybermen, (TV: Earthshock ^[+]Loading...["Earthshock (TV story)"], Attack of the Cybermen ^[+]Loading...["Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)"]) a Terileptil android, (TV: The Visitation ^[+]Loading...["The Visitation (TV story)"]) a Dalek and Jack Harkness (TV: The Parting of the Ways ^[+]Loading...["The Parting of the Ways (TV story)"]) all discharged their guns in the TARDIS.

Andred's staser did not work, although the Fourth Doctor attributed it to the relative dimensional stabiliser field. However, K9's laser and the Sontarans' guns did work. (TV: The Invasion of Time ^[+]Loading...["The Invasion of Time (TV story)"])

The Eighth Doctor stated that the TARDIS's defence mechanisms sometimes worked and sometimes did not, as he reminded the Monk when Ollistra threatened him with a staser within the TARDIS. (AUDIO: The Side of the Angels ^[+]Loading...["The Side of the Angels (audio story)"])

Threatening the Eighth Doctor with a staser within the TARDIS, Commander Roxita noted that, as a Capitol Guard, he could override the temporal grace. (AUDIO: Day of the Vashta Nerada ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Vashta Nerada (audio story)"])

Cinder was shot by Karlax using an energy pistol, before The Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS, leaving him to be exterminated by the Daleks. (PROSE: Engines of War ^[+]Loading...["Engines of War (novel)"])