Please Shut the Gate (short story): Difference between revisions

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe have landed on Mars. Near the TARDIS, Jamie finds what's left of a campsite. The Doctor is outraged that someone has left such an anachronism on the planet. When Jamie finds a pipe in the tent, the Doctor is horrified to discover it is his own. He tells Jamie and Zoe that he once tried to take Ben Jackson and Polly Wright to the coronation of Queen Victoria but landed here instead. They set up a camp so they could see the Martian dawn, but the TARDIS nearly took off without them and they had to leave their camp behind.

When something begins to bombard the area near them, the Doctor realises there is something familiar about this time and place. He discovers that the Mars Polar Lander is about to land right where the TARDIS is now standing. They hurry to clean up the campsite but see the shadow of the lander. They try to make it to the TARDIS in time, but the probe lands on the TARDIS and then falls to the ground, damaged beyond repair.

Zoe can't help noting, with a giggle, that the scientists on Earth will ascribe the failure of the probe to human error.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Jamie mentions Ice Warriors.
The Doctor tried to take Ben and Polly to the coronation of Queen Victoria, but they landed on Mars instead.
The Doctor, Ben and Polly set up camp to watch the Martian dawn.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

In the real world, contact was lost with the Mars Polar Lander after it landed on Mars.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Infobox Short Story|
+{{title dab away}}
-story name=Please Shut the Gate|
+{{real world}}
-series= [[BBC Books]] - [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]]|
+{{Infobox Story SMW
-doctor=[[Second Doctor]]|
+|series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|Short Trips short stories]]
-companions=[[Jamie]], [[Zoe]]|
+|doctor = Second Doctor
-year=[[Mars]], December [[1999]]|
+|companions=[[Jamie McCrimmon|Jamie]], [[Zoe Heriot|Zoe]]
-writer=[[Stephen Lock]]|
+|setting = [[Mars]], December [[1999]]
-publication=[[Short Trips and Side Steps]]|
+|writer=Stephen Lock
-previous story=[[Revenants]]|
+|anthology = Short Trips and Side Steps
-next story=[[Turnabout is Fair Play]]|
+|release date= 6 March 2000
-|}}
+|prev = Revenants (short story)
+|next=Turnabout is Fair Play (short story)
+}}
+'''''Please Shut the Gate''''' was the ninth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips and Side Steps]]''. It was written by [[Stephen Lock]]. It featured the [[Second Doctor]], [[Jamie McCrimmon]] and [[Zoe Heriot]].
-==Summary==
+== Summary ==
-''to be added''
+A probe is on its way to [[Mars]]...
+The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe have landed on Mars. Near [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]], Jamie finds what's left of a campsite. The Doctor is outraged that someone has left such an [[anachronism]] on the planet. When Jamie finds a pipe in the tent, the Doctor is horrified to discover it is his own. He tells Jamie and Zoe that he once tried to take [[Ben Jackson]] and [[Polly Wright]] to the coronation of Queen [[Victoria]] but landed here instead. They set up a camp so they could see the Martian dawn, but the TARDIS nearly took off without them and they had to leave their camp behind.
-==Characters==
+When something begins to bombard the area near them, the Doctor realises there is something familiar about this time and place. He discovers that the [[Mars Polar Lander]] is about to land right where the TARDIS is now standing. They hurry to clean up the campsite but see the shadow of the lander. They try to make it to the TARDIS in time, but the probe lands on the TARDIS and then falls to the ground, damaged beyond repair.
-*[[Second Doctor]]
-*[[Jamie]]
-*[[Zoe]]
-==References==
+Zoe can't help noting, with a giggle, that the scientists on [[Earth]] will ascribe the failure of the probe to [[human]] error.
-''to be added''
-==Notes==
+== Characters ==
-''to be added''
+* [[Second Doctor]]
+* [[Jamie McCrimmon|Jamie]]
+* [[Zoe Heriot|Zoe]]
-==Continuity==
+== Worldbuilding ==
-''to be added''
+* Jamie mentions [[Ice Warrior]]s.
+* The Doctor tried to take [[Ben Jackson|Ben]] and [[Polly Wright|Polly]] to the coronation of Queen [[Victoria]], but they landed on [[Mars]] instead.
+* The Doctor, Ben and Polly [[camping|set up camp]] to watch the Martian dawn.
-==Timeline==
+== Notes ==
-*This story occurs after [[PDA]]: ''[[The Final Sanction]]''
+* In the real world, contact was lost with the Mars Polar Lander after it landed on Mars.
-*This story occurs before [[ST]]: ''[[Constant Companion]]''
-==External links==
+== Continuity ==
 ''to be added''
-{{prose stub}}
+{{ST prose}}
+{{TitleSort}}
 [[Category:Second Doctor short stories]]
+[[Category:Short stories set on Mars]]
+[[Category:Stories set in 1999]]
+[[Category:Short Trips and Side Steps short stories]]