Legacy of Yesteryear (comic story)
Legacy of Yesteryear was a comic strip published in TV Century 21.
Summary
The Daleks explore Skaro, intent on learning its secrets. In the North, near the pole, a Dalek ship fires at a mountain to analyse its composition. The blast activates long-dormant machines deep inside the mountain, which begin to thaw three human Daleks from suspended animation.
Plot
The Daleks are exploring their planet to bolster their defences. They find precious stones in the mountains, desert creatures in the desert and mutated jungles that they clear with fire. At the North Pole they apparently find nothing, but awaken long frozen beings, three of the first Daleks, laying frozen deep within a mountain.
Upon waking, the original Daleks look around at their descendants and find they are cold creatures without conscience.
One of the Daleks, Yvric, betrays the other two and goes to try and give information to the Daleks. The Daleks, thinking he is an android, exterminate him.
Lodian then decides to show Zet what he discovered before they were frozen; a planet teeming with life, mineral wealth that is always learning and improving; Earth.
Zet knocks out Lodian and offers him to the Daleks so that they might become masters of the universe.
Lodian escapes the Daleks and Zet and finds himself to a rocket ship that he hopes to use to travel to Earth to warn them of the Daleks. But before he is able to launch Zet and the Daleks find him. Deciding that the risk that the Daleks find him and discover about Earth he makes the supreme sacrifice, blowing up the ship killing himself, Zet and several Daleks that were close by.
Characters
Worldbuilding
- Several new varieties of hoverbout are seen.
- Yarvelling is mentioned as the creator of the "Slaves of Metal".
- Sectors 35, 49, and 58 of the World Space Empire have been closed to all traffic other than rescue and salvage craft. This action has been taken owing to the destruction of a number of Fireballs. The sectors are expected to be opened to spacecraft within the next few days.
- An urgent call from Space City has brought a red alert to every spaceport and space landing site in the world. Landing site security officials have been instructed to detain any unidentified craft and its occupants. It is understood the alert is in connection with Fireball XL5 and the recent Black Ship outrages.
- Latest reports from Space City indicate that Fireball XL5 is undergoing a complete overhaul. It is expected that the craft will be out of operation for approximately five days due to "minor structural complications". In the meantime, Colonel Zodiac and his crew are enjoying a "well-earned" local holiday.
- Reports coming in from the observer spaceship K19 and the Space News Agency state that Sector 78 has been plagued with a meteorite storm of rating force 45. One unidentified ship is damaged and all other space vehicles have been warned to bypass the area if possible until the storms die down.
- The missing GA34R has successfully been salvaged from the Pacific Ocean. The plane is being transported by hovercraft transporter to Sydney Harbour where U.E.I. experts will completely overhaul it, searching for a clue as to why it crashed on its maiden voyage. The plane will be re-run on its original course as soon as complications are ironed out.
- The World Navy submarine WN6, which was captured by a band of Chinese pirates and used as a raiding ship, has been escorted back to Marineville. It is now in the Marineville construction "shop" where it is being given a complete overhaul. Tests on the craft begin "tomorrow" and, if all is successful, it should be back in operation with the World Navy within the month.
- U.E.I. has tested the GA34R, America's new supersonic plane, on the same test run as its maiden voyage. Experts state that all went well and that the craft will shortly be going into service with the Army-Air Force.
- Glasgow has been partially destroyed by a violent earthquake. It tore apart the city centre, wrecking buildings and cutting communications. Rescue attempts are underway. Nobody is reported dead though hundreds are missing.
- England has been hit by a freak earthquake, throwing major cities into turmoil. London has been partially destroyed, as have Manchester and Liverpool. Buildings have been shattered and evacuation operations have begun.
- All the major planets of the Earth Space Empire have accepted the invitation to visit Earth in "the near future" to attend the last session of the Earth Space Empire Governing Council. The meeting will take place in Unity City and is to be the last before the November elections. The first delegate to arrive, "this afternoon", was the senator for Uranus.
Notes
- The first instalment sees the first appearance of a title banner as opposed to a title frame, with artwork by Ron Turner, which would be used until the final instalment of The Daleks comic strip in TV21 Issue 104. Unlike the previous three title frames, the banner read simply THE DALEKS, without the wording by TERRY NATION and As featured in the BBC TV series "DR. WHO".
- In 2008, Altered Vistas released an animated adaptation of this story.
Continuity
- The Daleks are exploring Skaro. (COMIC: The Terrorkon Harvest)
- Yarvelling is mentioned as being responsible for the creation of the Dalek War Machines. (COMIC: Genesis of Evil)
