Inappropriate Laughter (short story)

Inappropriate Laughter
Main character(s):	Bernice Summerfield
Key crew
Writer:	Simon Guerrier
Release details
Part of:	Something Changed
Release date:	3 January 2006
Bernice Summerfield short stories
← Previous	Jason and the Pirates
Next →	Siege Mentality

Inappropriate Laughter was the first story in the Bernice Summerfield anthology Something Changed. It was written by Simon Guerrier.

Summary

Bernice grieves over the death of her beloved cat, Wolsey, and Hass is the only other person to come to the funeral. Meanwhile, Braxiatel is in discussions with Hass' brother, Sset, over the possession of some Martian artefacts.

Braxiatel sends Bernice to pick up Doggles from the spaceport. Benny gives Doggles a tour of the Collection before meeting Hass in the gardens. Doggles and Hass begin discussing Martian moss in great detail.

Bev discusses her tense relationship with Benny over lunch with Adrian. Adrian then attempts to make a romantic gesture before getting cut off by the waiter.

Jason, trying to help out Benny during her time of grief over Wolsey, goes to pick up Peter from school.

Despite the technology being way over her head, Benny is put in charge of overseeing the unveiling of Doggles' history machine, as Braxiatel is occupied with Martian negotions. After turning the machine on, it sends out a blinding white light as Doggles remarks, "this isn't supposed to happen".

Characters

• Bernice Summerfield
• Bev Tarrant
• Adrian Wall
• Irving Braxiatel
• Doggles
• Nryn
• Jason Kane
• Peter Summerfield
• Hass

Worldbuilding

• Hass performs the Martian ritual, Ak'iok-ak, a death rite reserved for enemy kings.
• Benny has owned Wolsey for around twelve years.
• Benny sees a Galyari at the spaceport.
• Adrian Wall and Bev Tarrant would often eat lunch together at Café Vosta.
• Nryn is in charge of the school that Peter Summerfield attends. She was a criminal who was caught doing experiments on children, although the children on the Braxiatel Collection loved her.
• Irving Braxiatel mentions how distressing it is that his people, the Time Lords, are constantly being drawn into conflict.
• Braxiatel is in negotiations with the Martian Sset regarding some Martian artefacts.
• A bell in Braxiatel's office began to ring following the activation of the history machine. Because Braxiatel's office is also part of his TARDIS, it is likely that this bell is a Cloister bell.

Notes

to be added

Continuity

• This story marks the death of the cat Wolsey, who originally was given to the Seventh Doctor in the story PROSE: Human Nature.
• This is the first story to feature Doggles. He would later become an important character, especially during the events of AUDIO: Resurrecting the Past and AUDIO: Escaping the Future.