After Life (comic story)

Following the death and burial of her mother, Alice Obiefune's life began to take a downward spiral as she was laid off from her job as a library assistant and evicted from her flat. At the height of her depression she encountered a rainbow dog which came bounding down the street towards her chased by the Eleventh Doctor. On the Doctor's instructions Alice reluctantly assisted his hunt of the creature but it managed to escape when the Doctor became distracted by a Time Lord figure and walked straight into a lamp post. As soon as the Doctor had brushed himself down he thanked Alice for her assistance and bid her farewell.

Later, Alice attempted to sort her life out by calling Citizen's Advice but was left surprised when the TARDIS materialised inside her flat. The Doctor greeted her once again and explained that he had tracked her down after noticing how sad she seemed. Having offered a listening ear to all of Alice's problems, the Doctor then invited her aboard the TARDIS. Once inside Alice noted that the control room was upside down, but the Doctor soon sorted the issue out. Alice became overwhelmed by the experience and the Doctor took her to the swimming pool to calm her down. The Doctor told Alice that the rainbow dog, a Kharitite - also known as a "joy-beast" - came from the planet Vreular and feeds on negative emotions. Upon learning this Alice comes to the conclusion that she knows where the creature is heading.

The Kharitite is unleashed upon the House of Commons.

The Kharitite broke into the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions which caused the politicians to flee in terror. Once the Doctor and Alice showed up the beast turned its attention back onto Alice and began chasing her, the Doctor encouraged Alice to lead it outside where it couldn't harm itself or others. Outside the creature was met with a barrage of UNIT soldiers who planned to disintegrate it. However, Alice defended the beast and insisted on another solution.

Behind Alice the TARDIS materialised and a walking squid emerged putting the soldiers into a frenzy. The Doctor ordered them to hold fire against both creatures and revealed the squid to be the Kharitie's owner. The squid reunited with the Kharitite and the pair headed back inside the TARDIS alongside Alice and the Doctor. As the alien squid and the ranibow dog played in the swimming pool, the Doctor and Alice returned to the control room where the Doctor questioned what their next adventure would be. Alice considered returning and sorting things out with her Landlord, but the Doctor reminded her that he was offering all of time and space and that there was plenty of time for that.

A shadowy figure watches the TARDIS.

As the TARDIS travelled onto its next adventure a shadowy Time Lord figure watched it moving among the stars, waiting to finish the story.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

The priest administering Alice's mother's funeral reads from William Penn.
Alice is a library assistant.
Alice is unhappy with the Department for Work and Pensions.
Stores near Alice's flat include Fresco and Cooli.
The number 81 bus has an advertisement for Hovish on its side.
Alice calls Citizen's Advice.
The Doctor chases after a Kharitite, which are also known as "Joy-Beasts".
The Doctor sees the Talent Scout who has taken the form of a Time Lord.
In the TARDIS swimming pool, the Doctor keeps an aquatic race of highly intelligent beings that resemble goldfish. One is called Reg.
The Kharitite is native to Vreular in the Fifth Galaxy.
A UNIT soldier thinks the squid alien could be the Doctor regenerated.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story marks the first appearance of the Talent Scout, the main adversary of the first year of The Eleventh Doctor comic series. He is not named and is seen in the form of a mysterious Time Lord figure. This is the first time the Eleventh Doctor and Alice encounter the Talent Scout but not the first time he encounters them.
The book Alice reads from is not identified, but the passage she reads is from "The Jumblies" by Edward Lear.

Original print details[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor has recently rebooted the universe with the second Big Bang. (TV: The Big Bang)
The Doctor has recently given Amy and Rory a honeymoon to remember. (TV: A Christmas Carol, Death of the Doctor)
The Doctor has previously walked on the ceilings of a spaceship when he reversed the gravity on the Byzantium. (TV: Flesh and Stone)
The Doctor tells Alice he loves libraries, except for the ones that try to eat him. (TV: Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead)
The Doctor has previously encountered rainbow coloured sheep. (COMIC: Booked Up)
The Kharitite home planet is located in the Fifth Galaxy. (TV: The Daleks' Master Plan, AUDIO: Neverland, PROSE: The Tomorrow Windows)
The Prime Minister is reverted to a child-like psychological state. A "Prime Minister" (but not necessarily the same one) had previously been reverted to a cave-man like state. (COMIC: Hunters of the Burning Stone)
In his Seventh and Eighth incarnations, the Doctor has given shelter in the TARDIS to fledershrews, another species close to extinction. (AUDIO: Black and White, Nevermore, Relative Dimensions) The Eighth Doctor also took into the TARDIS an injured Vortisaur named Ramsay. (AUDIO: Storm Warning)