Methuselah (short story)

Methuselah was the eleventh short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Transmissions. It was written by George Mann. It featured the Fifth Doctor and Peri Brown.

Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor and Peri land in Constantinople in the 10th century. They rescue an old man named Mephistus who is being chased by a mob. They take him home, where he tells them his story.

He used to be a teacher, but then he started hearing voices. Now people think he's crazy. He has written down what he thinks he's heard. The Doctor deciphers the writings and discovers that Mephistus has been hearing the distress call from a 22nd century spaceship called the Methuselah. It had an experimental hyperdrive that failed, sending the ship to the far future, at the end of the universe.

The Doctor leaves to rescue the crew of the ship. Peri stays with Methuselah, who begins to go crazy when he stops hearing the voices (because the Doctor has turned off the distress call in the future). He even tries to attack Peri.

When the Doctor finally returns, Mephistus apologises to Peri for his actions. The Doctor gives Mephistus the transmitter from the ship so he can continue to hear voices.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor shows Peri the "Hagia something-or-other".
The Doctor name-drops Nostradamus.
The Methuselah crew used a Feynman radio to send their distress signal.
Peri mentions the Bible.
The Doctor mentions the Ottomans and the Sarkovians.
Peri can't read Latin.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

On 9 January 2014, Big Finish Productions released an audio reading of this story, read by John Banks, to customers whose subscription included Daleks Among Us and 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men.
This story is set between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added