Welcome to 2088 (short story)
Welcome to 2088 was a 21 short story printed in Action 21 that contained elements from the Doctor Who universe. Specifically, the World Government capital Unity City was mentioned having been first introduced in The Daleks story Duel of the Daleks.
Summary
Brent Cleever introduces Action 21 for its readers. He notes that they pay for the World Security Council but questions how much they really know about craft like Stingray and Fireball XL5 or organisations such as Spectrum and the Universal Secret Service, claiming the magazine will give them the chance to find out. Cleever then introduces himself, explaining he is being paid not to protect secrets but to expose them. He finishes by stating that readers can write to him with questions about things they don't see in Action 21 and about aspects of the magazine they do not like.
Characters
Worldbuilding
- The World Security Council is in Washington while Unity City is in Bermuda.
- "Countless" senators have been elected to the World Government for over twenty years.
- Action 21 uses the "latest equipment" to bring readers pictures and stories from "every point" in the Galaxy.
Story notes
- This story marked the first with Doctor Who universe elements to feature the TV Century 21 character Brent Cleever since Mission from Colonel White! on 15 February 1969.
- This story also references elements from the series of Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.
- This story states there has been five World Presidents to date. Later Action 21 content would reveal the original characters of Melchior and Lhomel as the fourth and fifth respectively, as well as the existence of Bandranaik Plaza in a reference to the first TV Century 21 President Nikita Bandranaik. This possibly suggests that Bandranaik's successors from TV21, Younger and Roberts, are the second and third Presidents in this continuity.
Continuity
- Brent Cleever recalls that he used to be an agent for the Universal Secret Service. He was depicted leaving the Service on a number of occasions, including in COMIC: Andromeda Or Die and PROSE: Stingray Downs W.A.F..
- Action 21 has a special relay to Thunderbird 5 with the co-operation of Jeff Tracy. John Tracy was said to be keeping the magazine abreast of a developing crisis from TB5 in PROSE: Showdown in Space!.
