Vipod Mor (Slipback)

You may be looking for another ship of the same name or the eponymous Time Lord.

The Vipod Mor was a massive spaceship designed to survey all the civilisations within Setna Streen for potential tourism capacity. It was named for a Time Lord who had warned Setna society against time travel early in their history. (PROSE: Slipback)

Within the ship's computer were records of the developments of many peoples in the galaxy. It had a large crew, including many anthropologists and geologists — half of which were carbon-based lifeforms — led by Captain Slarn and First Officer Grant.

The Vipod Mor was controlled by a computer, which ran most of the ship. Due to a technical error, the computer developed a second personality. This second personality, seeing all the records of destruction and war in the galaxy, decided to do something about it. She planned to send the Vipod Mor back in time, changing all history for the better. Though she knew something of time travel, she required the knowledge of a Time Lord. To lure one, she brought a Maston from the past, knowing it would cause ripples in time.

The Time Lord who noticed this was the Sixth Doctor, who was trapped and scanned for information. After learning what it needed, the computer tried to go to the creation of the galaxy, changing the evolution of all creatures. At this point, the external personality reasserted herself and changed the coordinates, sending the ship back to the Big Bang instead. All crew members were killed after the external personality set the Vipod Mor to self-destruct. (AUDIO: Slipback)

Behind the scenes

• Decades after the publication of Slipback, Eric Saward reused the name Vipod Mor for the Prison Station seen in Resurrection of the Daleks. In this context, the station was named after Fellion Vipod Mor.