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The Doctor and Rose try to track down more of their old friends before they disappear …
Summary
The Doctor and Rose arrive at the Reading Dome of the University of Rago Rago 56 Rago (home to some ten trillion books), to catch up with the Chosen Scholars of Class 55. The books are stored digitally and can be downloaded directly to the brain via small mindlink devices which attach themselves to one's forehead. Rose takes the virtual tour, but the software has been affected by Macrobes which have been lying quietly waiting for the chance to infect the living brains and spread their infection. Sensing the Doctor is a Time Lord and now wanting to use the TARDIS and the Doctor to spread the virus throughout Time and Space, the Macrobes emerge from the system and using the brainlinks, takes over the wearers, including Rose. With Head Librarian Kriz's help, the Doctor hides in a room full of books to be junked as they've been deemed to be too boring to be stored (including Toenail Clippings of the Ug-Raptor, A History of Peas and How to Speak Zarbi in 10,000 Steps).
The Doctor downloads the boring books, sending the Library Zombies to sleep and the Macrobes retreating back to the net, which the Doctor disconnects. With the Macrobes trapped in the storage, a clean-up team is sent in to remove the infection. The Chosen Scholars have also disappeared and the Doctor prepares to read through all the information looking for answers to the mysterious disappearances of Platform One's surviving guests.
Characters
- Tenth Doctor
- Rose Tyler
- Kriz
- Head Librarian of the University of Rago Rago 56 Rago's Reading Dome.
- Macrobes
- A viral life-form, gaseous, green with big red eyes and a large mouth. They managed a physical manifestation by infiltrating the digital library and infecting living brains through the mindlink devices used to directly send information to its wearer.
Original print details
Installment, publication title with page count and closing caption.
- 4/6 DWBIT 4 (4 pages) TO BE CONTINUED!!!
- No reprints to date.
Notes
- Supporting the series of collectible Doctor Who trading cards, the magazine carried a regular four page, individually titled comic strip of the Tenth Doctor’s adventures.
- The artwork and colours were bold and bright, reflecting the tone of the magazine and, as did Doctor Who Adventures, reflected the appeal to readers younger than those catered to by Doctor Who Magazine.
- The Macrobes are reminiscent of the manifestation in the Ghostbusters movies.
References
- The Battles in Time comic strip often sought to associate the Doctor here with the one seen on screen by utilising various 'props' from the TV series: blue/brown suit, intelligent-looking glasses, sonic screwdriver and psychic paper. Apart from the brown suit and coat, only the Doctor's glasses appeared in this strip.
Continuity
- The Zarbi were an ant-like species that the Doctor encountered on Vortis in his first incarnation. (DW: The Web Planet)
Timeline
- This story takes place after DWBIT: Death Race Five Billion
- This story takes place before DWBIT: The Hunt of Doom