Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible (novel)

Publisher's summary

'You’re on your own, Ace.'

The TARDIS is invaded by an alien presence, and is then destroyed. The Doctor disappears.

Ace, lost and alone, finds herself in a bizarre deserted city ruled by the tyrannical, leech-like monster known as the Process.

Lost voyagers drawn forward from Ancient Gallifrey perform obsessive rituals in the ruins.

The strands of time are tangled in a cat’s cradle of dimensions.

Only the Doctor can challenge the rule of the Process and restore the stolen Future.

But the Doctor was destroyed long ago, before Time began.

The Doctor
- Has never travelled into Gallifrey's past.
- He's one of the cousins of the House of Lungbarrow.
Ace
- Can swear in 11 alien languages.
The Pythia
- Ruler of Gallifrey before Rassilon.
Rassilon
The Process
- An annelid with lamprey-like mouths at each end (termed "mouthfeet").
- It moves by using alternating mouthfeet to pivot its body, moving not unlike a Slinky.
- Called Amphisbaena in the Book of Future Legends.
The Guards
- Described as bipedal red insects, with twenty-four "optic nodes" instead of eyes.
- The Process can speak through them.

Characters of the Time Scaphe

The Sisterhood of Karn and Lady Peinforte are both left overs of the Pythia's power.
The Pythia were psychics that could forsee Gallifrey's future, they were female.
The Pythia sends her sisterhood to Karn.
Ancient Gallifrey had an empire.
Rassilon created the Looms to save Gallifrey from extinction cause by Pythia's curse of sterility upon Gallifrey.
Pythia came from before the Intuitive Revolution which heralded Rassilon's rise to power.
The Doctor is one of 45 cousins of the House of Lungbarrow.
The Doctor mentions Blinovictual Theory, most likely a reference to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect.
Ace mentions the Hand of Omega.
Tafelshrew is a rodent from Gallifrey.
Pazithi Gallifreya is Gallifrey's moon.
Sepulchasm is a board game on Gallifrey.
Rassilon the God was written by Cardinal Borusa.
The Court of Principals are ana organisation on Gallifrey.

The Doctor says he's never been to Alaska, however BFA: The Land of the Dead is set there.
No natural born child exists on Gallifrey since Pythia's curse...however; MA: Cold Fusion, PDA: The Infinity Doctors and Lungbarrow question this.
Ancient Gallifrey is also seen and described in: EDA: Interference - Book Two.
The Sisterhood of Karn first appeared in DW: The Brain of Morbius.
Lady Peinforte mentioned mysterious secrets about the Doctor in DW: Silver Nemesis.
Ace doesn't like black cats, which were prominent in DW: Survival.
This is the first time it is suggested that the TARDIS is to be piloted by six people, this is shown on screen in DW: Journey's End.
Ace has, on previous explorations of the TARDIS, found the courtyard that was a central location in DW: Logopolis and the room of cricket supplies seen in DW: Castrovalva.
The Doctor observes that the "State of Grace" circuit of the TARDIS needs looking at, likely referring to the notoriously inconsistent state of Temporal grace.
Ace finds Ian's Swiss Army knife.