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{{Infobox Short Story|
{{title dab away}}
story name=The Sons of Grekk|
{{real world}}
series=[[Doctor Who Annual]]|
{{Infobox Story SMW
doctor=[[First Doctor]]|
|series       = [[Doctor Who annual|''Doctor Who'' annual]]
companions=|
|doctor       = First Doctor
year=|
|companions    =
writer=|
|image        = Annual 1967 The Sons of Grekk 2.jpg
publication=[[Doctor Who Annual 1967]]|
|setting      = [[Planet (The Sons of Grekk)|Unnamed planet]]
previous story=[[The Cloud Exiles]]|
|enemy        = {{il|Sons of [[Grekk]]|[[Deemon]]}}
next story=[[Terror on Tiro]]|
|writer       =  
|}}
|read by      = [[Peter Purves]]
|anthology    = The Dr Who Annual 1967
|release date = September 1966
|prev          = The Cloud Exiles (short story)
|next         = Terror on Tiro (short story)
}}
'''''The Sons of Grekk''''' was a short story published in ''[[The Dr Who Annual 1967]]''. It featured the [[First Doctor]].


==Summary==
== Summary ==
The TARDIS materialises and the Doctor is amazed to find a pig's head filling the screen of the scanner. Further examination reveals that this is one of several dishes being carried by a spherical robot. Checking that the environment is safe, he emerges to find himself in the wide corridor of a palatial building, hung with illuminated tapestries. He follows the smell of food and emerges on a gallery above a banqueting hall, where men in in metallic tunics feast.
The TARDIS materialises and the Doctor is amazed to find a [[pig]]'s head filling the scanner screen. A closer look shows it is one of several dishes being carried by a spherical [[robot]]. After checking the environment is safe, he emerges to find himself in the wide corridor of a [[castle|palatial building]], hung with elaborate tapestries. He follows the smell of food and emerges on a gallery above a banqueting hall where men in metallic tunics feast.


Suddenly, he notices a black-clad figure in the gallery aiming a gun at one of the diners. He disarms the would-be assassin with his stick and the man flees. The diners send a robot to bring him down forcibly and accuse him of being a [[spy]] for the [[Crustian]]s. Calling themselves the Sons of [[Grekk]], they disbelieve his assurances that he is an offworld traveller, and mock the TARDIS when he claims it is his vessel. The eldest, [[Swarf (The Sons of Grekk)|Swarf]], urges caution, believing it dangerous. He tells his brother [[Morag (The Sons of Grekk)|Morag]] to take the Doctor to the Pit. The robots, called [[Mechanislave]]s, are set to guarding the TARDIS.


The Pit proves to be a smooth-sided volcanic crater, in which members of various sentient species are imprisoned. Morag pushes the Doctor in. His fall is broken by webbing spun by large, [[spider]]-like prisoners. Other prisoners resemble [[cockroach]]es, [[butterfly|butterflies]] (their wings clipped) and [[turtle]]s. These last are the Crustians; one of these explains the black-clad assassin is an evil genius named [[Deemon]], left on the planet by Grekk to provoke his sons to endless hostility towards its other inhabitants. He has also smuggled a sustenance unit into the Pit, which is keeping the surviving prisoners fed.


Suddenly, he notices a black-clad figure in the gallery aiming a gun at one of the diners. He disarms the would-be assassin with his stick, and the man flees. The diners send a robot to bring him down forcibly, and accuse him of being a spy for the Crustians.Describing themselves as the Sons of Grekk, they disbelieve his assurances that he is an offworld traveller, and mock the TARDIS when he claims it is his vessel. The eldest, Swarf, urges caution, believeing it potentially dangerous,  and tells his brother Morag to take the Doctor to the Pit, while the robots, called Mechanislaves, are set to guarding the TARDIS.
The Doctor converts the unit into a [[radio]] transmitter, with which they tell the other Crustians of the Pit's location and ask for rescue. The Sons of Grekk intercept the message, and venture into the Pit to massacre its occupants before the Crustians arrive, but the Doctor has organised a trap using the webbing of the spider-creatures. The Sons are wrapped up. As the prisoners leave by the ladders by which they descended, they are left to cool off in the Pit and change their minds about the need for peace.


The Doctor accompanies some of his fellow escapees to the Sons' castle where Deemon has programmed the Mechanislaves to be hostile; but the Doctor bluffs that his stick is a gun, and orders Deemon to stand them down. He notices to his horror that another party of Mechanislaves are about to throw the TARDIS from a high window. He grabs the lower edge, hauls himself up, opens the door, slides across the control-room floor and dematerialises the TARDIS before it hits the ground.


== Characters ==
* [[First Doctor]]
* [[Deemon]]
* [[Swarf (The Sons of Grekk)|Swarf]]
* [[Morag (The Sons of Grekk)|Morag]]


The Pit proves to be a smooth-sided volcanic crater, in which members of various sentient species are imprisoned. Morag pushes the Doctor in, but his fall is broken by webbing spun by large, spider-like prisoners. Other prisoners resemble cockroaches, butterflies (their wings clipped by the Sons of Grekk) and turtles. These last are the Crustians: one of these explains that the black-clad assassin is an evil genius named Deemon, left on the planet by Grekk to provoke his sons to endless hostility towards its other inhabitants. He has also smuggled a sustenance unit into the Pit, which is keeping the surviving prisoners fed.
== Worldbuilding ==
* The Doctor compares the decadent [[food]] to the likes of [[King Arthur]]'s Round Table.


== Notes ==
* The Doctor is described as "Dr Who" throughout.
* Although the text does not make it clear how many sons Grekk has, an illustration shows four of them.
* This story was read by [[Peter Purves]] in [[2017 (releases)|2017]] in ''[[The Doctor Who Audio Annual]]''.


== Continuity ==
* The Doctor has encountered giant [[insect]]-like creatures before, on the planet [[Vortis]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Web Planet (TV story)|The Web Planet]]'')


The Doctor is able to convert the unit into a radio transmitter, with which they tell the other Crustians of the Pit's location and ask to be rescued. The Sons of Grekk intercept the message, and venture into the Pit to massacre its occupants before the Crustians arrive, but the Doctor has organised a trap using the webbing of the spider-creatures. The Sons are wrapped up, and as the prisoners leave by the ladders by which they descended, they are left to cool off in the Pit, to change their minds about the need for peace.
{{DW AA}}
{{TitleSort}}


 
[[Category:DWAN 1967 short stories]]
 
[[Category:The First Doctor Who Audio Annual stories]]
The Doctor accompanies some of his fellow escapees to the Sons' castle, where Deemon has programmed the Mechanislaves to be become hostile; but the Doctor bluffs that his stick is a gun, and orders Deemon to stand them down. He notices to his horror that another party of Mechanislaves are about to throw the TARDIS from a high window: he grabs the lower edge, hauls himself up, opens the door, slides across the control-room floor and manages to dematerialise the TARDIS in mid-air before it hits the ground.
 
==Characters==
*The Doctor
*Deemon
*Swarf
*Morag
*'The Cockroach'
*'The Butterfly'
*The Crustian
 
 
 
==References==
''to be added''
 
==Notes==
*The Doctor is described as 'Dr Who' throughout.
 
==Continuity==
''to be added''
 
==Timeline==
*This story occurs after [[DWA]]: ''[[The Cloud Exiles]]''
*This story occurs before [[DWA]]: ''[[Terror on Tiro]]''
 
==External links==
''to be added''
{{prose stub}}
[[Category:First Doctor short stories|Sons of Grekk]]

Latest revision as of 16:16, 25 March 2024

RealWorld.png

The Sons of Grekk was a short story published in The Dr Who Annual 1967. It featured the First Doctor.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The TARDIS materialises and the Doctor is amazed to find a pig's head filling the scanner screen. A closer look shows it is one of several dishes being carried by a spherical robot. After checking the environment is safe, he emerges to find himself in the wide corridor of a palatial building, hung with elaborate tapestries. He follows the smell of food and emerges on a gallery above a banqueting hall where men in metallic tunics feast.

Suddenly, he notices a black-clad figure in the gallery aiming a gun at one of the diners. He disarms the would-be assassin with his stick and the man flees. The diners send a robot to bring him down forcibly and accuse him of being a spy for the Crustians. Calling themselves the Sons of Grekk, they disbelieve his assurances that he is an offworld traveller, and mock the TARDIS when he claims it is his vessel. The eldest, Swarf, urges caution, believing it dangerous. He tells his brother Morag to take the Doctor to the Pit. The robots, called Mechanislaves, are set to guarding the TARDIS.

The Pit proves to be a smooth-sided volcanic crater, in which members of various sentient species are imprisoned. Morag pushes the Doctor in. His fall is broken by webbing spun by large, spider-like prisoners. Other prisoners resemble cockroaches, butterflies (their wings clipped) and turtles. These last are the Crustians; one of these explains the black-clad assassin is an evil genius named Deemon, left on the planet by Grekk to provoke his sons to endless hostility towards its other inhabitants. He has also smuggled a sustenance unit into the Pit, which is keeping the surviving prisoners fed.

The Doctor converts the unit into a radio transmitter, with which they tell the other Crustians of the Pit's location and ask for rescue. The Sons of Grekk intercept the message, and venture into the Pit to massacre its occupants before the Crustians arrive, but the Doctor has organised a trap using the webbing of the spider-creatures. The Sons are wrapped up. As the prisoners leave by the ladders by which they descended, they are left to cool off in the Pit and change their minds about the need for peace.

The Doctor accompanies some of his fellow escapees to the Sons' castle where Deemon has programmed the Mechanislaves to be hostile; but the Doctor bluffs that his stick is a gun, and orders Deemon to stand them down. He notices to his horror that another party of Mechanislaves are about to throw the TARDIS from a high window. He grabs the lower edge, hauls himself up, opens the door, slides across the control-room floor and dematerialises the TARDIS before it hits the ground.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor compares the decadent food to the likes of King Arthur's Round Table.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor is described as "Dr Who" throughout.
  • Although the text does not make it clear how many sons Grekk has, an illustration shows four of them.
  • This story was read by Peter Purves in 2017 in The Doctor Who Audio Annual.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

v • e
The Doctor Who Audio Annual
The Doctor Who
Audio Annual
The Second Doctor Who
Audio Annual
The Sinister Sponge
& Other Stories
The Planet of Dust
& Other Stories
Time Wake
& Other Stories
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