Bowie Base One
Bowie Base One was an international base founded on Mars in July 2058. Named after "a music god", (PROSE: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (novelisation)"]) it was built into the Gusev Crater as a research base with a Bio-Dome. The base's shuttle was Apollo 34.
The base and shuttle were later compromised by an infectious alien species, as were some of the crew, leading to the base's destruction to prevent the aliens from taking over any more people.
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
The base had a crew of nine humans: Captain Adelaide Brooke, Deputy Ed Gold, Tarak Ital MD, Nurse Yuri Kerenski, Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich, Junior Technician Roman Groom, translator Mia Bennett (listed as a geologist on the crew manifest), astrobiologist Margaret Cain and horticulturalist Andy Stone PhD. The mission was intended to take five years, studying Mars to see if it was suitable for human habitation. According to the Tenth Doctor, the colonists were the "very first humans on Mars", although an obituary of Adelaide claimed a three-person team including Brooke landed on Mars when Adelaide was 42, in 2041. (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"], PROSE: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (novelisation)"])
The mission included the United Kingdom, United States of America, Russia, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, Lithuania, and Australia. Mission Control was based in Houston, Texas. (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"])
Original timeline[[edit] | [edit source]]
Seventeen months into the mission, on 21 November 2059, the Flood reached the base thanks to a broken filter, where it started infecting the crew through Andy Stone when he ate a carrot he had washed in the infected water. Ultimately, Captain Adelaide Brooke initiated Action Five, destroying the base, its personnel and the Flood in the resulting nuclear blast in order to save Earth. Many on Earth mourned their deaths, not knowing why Adelaide decided to take such drastic action. However, this inspired her granddaughter Susie Fontana Brooke to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and lead humanity out among the stars.
With few facts available, it was speculated by the media that Adelaide had a psychotic episode which led to the destruction of the base, perhaps an effect of the realisation of being so far away from Earth. It was reported that a three-minute silence was held at midday on 23 November 2059. (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"])
In the original timeline, the Doctor learned of the base's destruction from an abandoned copy of the New York Times with an article on the disaster. (PROSE: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (novelisation)"])
New timeline[[edit] | [edit source]]
Seventeen months into the mission, on 21 November 2059, the Tenth Doctor arrived on Mars and was apprehended for trespassing by Gadget. Though initially excited to meet the crew of Bowie Base One, the Doctor realised that he had to leave, after learning of the date as the events that would follow were a fixed point in time. However, while the Doctor was on the base, Andy was infected by the Flood due to a broken filter while eating a carrot in the Bio Dome. Despite his reluctance, the Doctor got caught up in the subsequent investigation and battle with the Flood, but refused to interfere too much due to the fixed nature of the moment.
Following the base's shuttle's destruction, the Doctor declared himself the Time Lord Victorious and attempted to save the surviving crew members. With Gadget's help, the Doctor transported Mia, Yuri and Adelaide back to Earth in the TARDIS. The Doctor had warned Adelaide how history was meant to play out, and she initiated Action Five just before they left. This detonated a nuclear device under Bowie Base One, destroying it, the infected crewmembers and the Flood.
Following her return to Earth, Adelaide defied the Doctor's supposed right to change history as the sole surviving Time Lord by committing suicide to keep the timeline on track. In the aftermath, the Space Agency initially concealed the Doctor's involvement in events, and conspiracy theories sprung up about what had happened. Some theorized the base's existence had been a hoax intended to give the people of Earth hope for the future. (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"], PROSE: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (novelisation)"])
Mia and Yuri eventually spread the story of Bowie Base One and Adelaide's heroism, including visiting Emily Brooke to tell her what had really happened that day. This inspired Adelaide's granddaughter Susie to lead humanity into the stars, becoming the pilot of the ship Lightspeed Alpha twenty-seven years later. (TV: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (TV story)"], PROSE: The Waters of Mars [+]Loading...["The Waters of Mars (novelisation)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- It was named after David Bowie as a reference to his song "Life on Mars?" (CON: Is There Life on Mars?) The connection was made slightly more explicitly in-universe through the Target novelisation and is mentioned in PROSE: Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia [+]Loading...["Doctor Who: The Encyclopedia (reference book)"].
- The flags of Spain (civil/ensign), United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Russia, Lithuania (upside down), and Turkey were present in Bowie Base One.
- Flags for Germany, Pakistan, and the United States were absent, despite crewmembers representing those countries. None of the crewmembers were Spanish.
- Bowie Base One appears as part of the Doctor Who Adventure World in LEGO Dimensions.
