The Parliament of Rats (short story): Difference between revisions
m (see Tardis:Manual of Style#Story names - this round quick and dirty will come back later for disambig titles) |
No edit summary |
||
(65 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{title | {{title dab away}} | ||
{{Infobox | {{real world}} | ||
{{Infobox Story SMW | |||
series= | |series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|Short Trips short stories]] | ||
doctor= | |doctor = Fifth Doctor | ||
companions=[[Nyssa]]| | |companions=[[Nyssa]] | ||
|setting=The Lung of Heaven and Parliament of Rats, [[Lethe (The Parliament of Rats)|Lethe]] | |||
writer= | |writer = Daniel O'Mahony | ||
|anthology=Short Trips (anthology) | |||
|release date= 2 March 1998 | |||
|prev = Mother's Little Helper (short story) | |||
|next=Rights (short story) | |||
}} | |||
'''''The Parliament of Rats''''' was the eleventh short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips (anthology)|Short Trips]]''. It was written by [[Daniel O'Mahony]]. It featured the [[Fifth Doctor]] and [[Nyssa]]. | |||
==Summary== | == Summary == | ||
The TARDIS | [[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]] materialises in the middle of the sea on the ocean planet Lethe. The Doctor and Nyssa are rescued by the crew of the ''Lung of Heaven'', captained by Katr Korzen. The planet is ravaged by fractures in the time fields, and the ship is navigated by Constantine, who is a time-sensitive. The ship is on a mission to find the ''Parliament of Rats'', a legendary ship, so that Brunner, the physician-priest, can exorcise it of the White God. | ||
The Doctor is suffering headaches due to the time fractures. Nyssa worries that his recent [[regeneration]] has hurt him badly. | |||
The ''Lung'' encounters the ''Parliament of Rats''. The crew of the ''Parliament'' are disfigured from their travels in the time fractures. They board the ''Lung'', where Korzen has ordered Harbou, the mate, to surrender. Korzen and the Doctor hide below decks because the captain of the ''Parliament'' is looking for her. | |||
The crew of the ''Parliament'' take Nyssa and Brunner to the ''Parliament'' to sacrifice them to their god. Brunner is happy to go, as it will give him a chance to expose the White God as a myth. They are locked in a room with a mirror. Something white comes out of the mirror, and Brunner tries to kill it. Nyssa thinks it is a white hole, but suddenly the Doctor appears to rescue them. He stays behind while Constantine takes Nyssa and Brunner back to the ''Lung''. | |||
''to | |||
The Doctor communicates with the white force and discovers that it is something left behind by the [[Time Lord]]s. He orders it to destroy itself; the ''Parliament'' breaks apart with the Doctor still aboard and he ends up in the sea. Constantine rescues him and drags him to the ''Lung''. When he realises that she was the white power, she disappears. He is rescued by the ''Lung'', where the real Constantine is. | |||
By the time the Doctor and Nyssa leave the ship, Constantine has disappeared. | |||
== | == Characters == | ||
* [[Fifth Doctor]] | |||
* [[Nyssa]] | |||
* [[Constantine (The Parliament of Rats)|Constantine]] | |||
* [[Brunner (The Parliament of Rats)|Brunner]] | |||
* [[Katr Korzen]] | |||
* [[Harbou]] | |||
* [[Pym (The Parliament of Rats)|Pym]] | |||
{{prose | == Worldbuilding == | ||
[[Category:Fifth Doctor short stories | * The ocean planet is named [[Lethe (The Parliament of Rats)|Lethe]]; the Doctor points out that [[Earth]] mythology includes a story about a river [[Lethe (river)|Lethe]]. | ||
* Korzen captains the ''[[Lung of Heaven]]'', while Pym captains the ''[[Parliament of Rats]]''. | |||
* The [[White God]], a sea deity, was supposedly captured by the ''Parliament''. | |||
== Notes == | |||
* [[Staff (The Parliament of Rats)|The staff]] refers to the Doctor as "my lord," invoking reference to aristocracy. The [[The Pageant|Pageant]] of ''[[The Man in the Velvet Mask (novel)|The Man in the Velvet Mask]]'', also by [[Daniel O'Mahony]], referred to the Doctor in this way as well. | |||
* O'Mahony referred to this story as a scene from a rejected BBC Books novel proposal.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20061213205116/http://www.gallifreyone.com:80/interview.php?id=omahony Gallifrey One Interview]</ref> | |||
== Continuity == | |||
* The white force comes from [[validium]], which first appeared in [[TV]]: ''[[Silver Nemesis (TV story)|Silver Nemesis]]''. | |||
* Nyssa worries about the effects of the Doctor's recent [[regeneration]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'') | |||
* The Time Lords' interactions with the planet Lethe, alluded to in this short story, would later be described in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Book of the War (novel)|The Book of the War]]''. | |||
== Footnotes == | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
{{ST prose}} | |||
{{TitleSort}} | |||
[[Category:Fifth Doctor short stories]] | |||
[[Category:Short Trips short stories]] | |||
[[Category:Stories set in the War]] |
Latest revision as of 13:11, 11 September 2024
The Parliament of Rats was the eleventh short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips. It was written by Daniel O'Mahony. It featured the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
The TARDIS materialises in the middle of the sea on the ocean planet Lethe. The Doctor and Nyssa are rescued by the crew of the Lung of Heaven, captained by Katr Korzen. The planet is ravaged by fractures in the time fields, and the ship is navigated by Constantine, who is a time-sensitive. The ship is on a mission to find the Parliament of Rats, a legendary ship, so that Brunner, the physician-priest, can exorcise it of the White God.
The Doctor is suffering headaches due to the time fractures. Nyssa worries that his recent regeneration has hurt him badly.
The Lung encounters the Parliament of Rats. The crew of the Parliament are disfigured from their travels in the time fractures. They board the Lung, where Korzen has ordered Harbou, the mate, to surrender. Korzen and the Doctor hide below decks because the captain of the Parliament is looking for her.
The crew of the Parliament take Nyssa and Brunner to the Parliament to sacrifice them to their god. Brunner is happy to go, as it will give him a chance to expose the White God as a myth. They are locked in a room with a mirror. Something white comes out of the mirror, and Brunner tries to kill it. Nyssa thinks it is a white hole, but suddenly the Doctor appears to rescue them. He stays behind while Constantine takes Nyssa and Brunner back to the Lung.
The Doctor communicates with the white force and discovers that it is something left behind by the Time Lords. He orders it to destroy itself; the Parliament breaks apart with the Doctor still aboard and he ends up in the sea. Constantine rescues him and drags him to the Lung. When he realises that she was the white power, she disappears. He is rescued by the Lung, where the real Constantine is.
By the time the Doctor and Nyssa leave the ship, Constantine has disappeared.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The ocean planet is named Lethe; the Doctor points out that Earth mythology includes a story about a river Lethe.
- Korzen captains the Lung of Heaven, while Pym captains the Parliament of Rats.
- The White God, a sea deity, was supposedly captured by the Parliament.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The staff refers to the Doctor as "my lord," invoking reference to aristocracy. The Pageant of The Man in the Velvet Mask, also by Daniel O'Mahony, referred to the Doctor in this way as well.
- O'Mahony referred to this story as a scene from a rejected BBC Books novel proposal.[1]
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- The white force comes from validium, which first appeared in TV: Silver Nemesis.
- Nyssa worries about the effects of the Doctor's recent regeneration. (TV: Logopolis)
- The Time Lords' interactions with the planet Lethe, alluded to in this short story, would later be described in PROSE: The Book of the War.