Short Trips: Destination Prague

Short Trips: Destination Prague
edited by Steven Savile

Cover Blurb

Prague has its demons - a city saved from the ravages of war and the Third Reich because of its beauty, it is home to Rabi Loew's Golem, Rudolph II's obsession with finding the elixir of youth, scientific genius in the form of Kepler and Tycho Brahe, and the alchemical obsessions of Magister Kelly.

It is believed that there are magnetic energies whose lines intersect in Prague at several spots. Astronomy, astrology, numerology and magnetic forces have all played a role in building the city - but how will they influence its future?

This is the city rich in history, and full of potential - how will it adapt over the centuries to come? Will it have a glamorous rebirth or wallow in a dystopic nightmare? And what will be the role of the old superstitions in the new world?

For the Doctor and his companions, the answers to these questions are only just the start of further mysteries…

Notes:

This is the twentieth volume of short stories published by Big Finish in the Short Trips series.

Released: June 2007
ISBN: 978 1 84435 253 6

Stories
Midnight in the Cafe of the Black Madona by Sean Williams	3rd Doctor
The Doctor awakens surrounded by the Crei, aliens that look like elephants. The Doctor discovers that he is on one of their ships and that they have trapped him there thanks to a temporal trap and that has taken the city of Prague from the twenty-fourth century in the hopes of finding a device that would help them win the war. The Doctor is forced to help them in order to get the TARDIS back. He takes them through the city, stopping at different places that the device, the Tipping Device, might be. The Doctor gets a clue from the Crei that the device might be at the Old Clock Tower that is in the centre of Prague. The Crei had stopped time to help find the device and they restore it in order to get the clock working. The Doctor and Kandula, the Crei helping the Doctor, race back towards the TARDIS. The commander attacks them as they flee as he realizes that he was tricked. The Doctor and Kandula escape, but Kandula is badly wounded and dies. The Doctor actually had the device all this time as Kandula slipped it into one of his pockets. Prague is returned safely to Earth. Years pass and the Crei ship is left in ruins floating in space. People come and dump the junk on the remains. And one lone Crei figure remains clutching a small device, thought to be the Tipping Device. Time-Placement: The Doctor makes mention of Jo Grant, but she has left him so this story takes place after The Green Death. We place it right after as it seems that she has just left the Doctor's company.
Room for Improvement by James A. Moore	1st Doctor and Ian
Prague. 2908. The Doctor and Ian are spending some time on vacation when the hear about the Blue Plague infecting the city. The Doctor discovers that it is manmade and that one of the evolutionary factions are attempting to use this plague to advance their cause. The Doctor and Ian discover the cure and help the people recover. Time-Placement: Arbitrary. Barbara and Susan are mentioned so must take place before The Dalek Invasion of Earth. We've placed at it after The Mother Road.
Life From Lifelessness by Keith R. A. DeCandido	1st Doctor and Susan / 4th Doctor, Romana and K9
Twenty years ago, the Wronsdehj invaded and conquered the earth. Now, Stefnee and Jwana arrives as tourists. They pay a visit to a local synagogue and the local Rabbi gives them a tour of the Synagogue. They ask him about why no one is allowed up in the attic and so he tells them the story. The Wronsdehj came and encased parts of Europe in force fields and enslaved the population. The governments of the world attempted to stop them, but failed. Burnsteen attempted to get permission to hold services on the Sabbath by contacting the Wronsdehj. She is warned by a man, who calls himself the Doctor, that it is pointless to try as they won't allow it. The Doctor tells her that they must get to the synagogue before the Wronsdehj do and find the Golem of Prague. Burnsteen is surprised to find out that the Doctor was the one who imprisoned it in the attic as it happened 550 years ago. The Doctor than tells the story of where the Golem came from. In the 16th Century, the 1st Doctor and Susan arrived after finding a piece of the Liciax's ship inside their own. Susan threw it out, thinking it was just a meteorite, before realizing what it was. They arrive in Prague where Loevy has forged the meteorite into the Golem. The meteorite is actually a living thing and the Golem comes to life and begins killing alot of people. The Doctor, Susan, and Loevy finally get it to stop and the Doctor imprisons the Golem in the attic with highly sophisticated security system that only he and Susan can access. Present day. The Doctor and Burnsteen arrive at the synagogue. The Doctor and Romana enter the attic and bring the Golem outside. The Doctor, with the help of K9, convince the Wronsdehj to leave. Eventually, they do and the Doctor decides that the Golem, in the wrong hands, could be disastrous for anyone. So he takes it with him, hoping to return it to the Liciax. Time-Placement: The 1st Doctor and Susan are travelling alone, so it must takes place before 100,000 BC. But as the Doctor would soon be sending Susan to school on earth, we've placed it just before this story. For the 4th Doctor segment, Romana is still in her first incarnation (dark-haired) and they arrived in Prague due to the randomizer, so this must take place after The Armageddon Factor.
The Long Step Backward by Michael W. Barr	1st Doctor, Vicky and Steven
Prague. 2348. The Doctor and his companions arrive just as the 1000th anniversary of the University of Prague is celebrated. A monkey escapes from somewhere and a student, Miss Childress, offers to take it back to his pen. The Doctor asks Steven to accompany her. Miss Childress takes the monkey back and Steven discovers that the monkey is actually a fellow student, but before he can warn the Doctor, he is attacked by Miss Childress. At the Astronomical Clock, the Doctor and Vicki watch as they countdown the moment when the celebration begins. The Doctor realizes something is wrong, but before he and Vicki can make it back to the TARDIS, the clock strikes midnight and everyone, including the Doctor, are all turned into monkeys. The Doctor's unique physiology causes another transformation, which surprises Miss Childress. The clock is destroyed and everyone returns to normal and the celebration continues. Time-Placement: Arbitrary. Steven and Vicki seem pretty well established, so we placed it just before The Myth Makers. No other point of origin is given other than the companions.
Strange Attractor by Paul Kupperberg	6th Doctor and Peri
While sipping coffee in Prague, the Doctor and Peri are present when the city falls into a TAZ, or a temporary autonomous zone. It happens quite a bit here in Prague, but for only a short time. Until now. The Doctor starts to worry and encounters a strange individual who claims to be the personification of Anarchy. Anarchy is attempting to destroy the city to cause panic in on earth. The Doctor stops his plans and everything is returned to normal. Time-Placement: The Doctor has his red cravat [p.53], so more likely between The Mysterious Planet and Mindwarp.
Gold and Black Ooze by Robert Hood	6th Doctor and Peri
Prague. 1689. Slobeslav Stojespal is attacked by the Nockrauler. He falls unconcious before the creature could kill him. The Doctor and Peri arrive thinking its 4240 & rescue Slobeslav and nurse him back to health. They discover that Prague's river, the Vltava, is turning into a black ooze. The Doctor gets Peri to go to the TARDIS to retrieve an adaptor. Peri starts to leave and notices that the city is disappearing. The Doctor knows what's going on, but needs to figure out why its happening. The city is growing out the gloop. Peri is chased by soldiers on her way back from the TARDIS. She falls into the river and gets out with no memory of who she is or where she is. The Doctor soon realizes that Peri is now missing and returns to the TARDIS to find out what is going on & discovers the soldiers examining the TARDIS. He demands to be taken to the King. He tries to convince the King to stop building his clock as it powers the Nockrauler. It was what took Prague & brought it outside the normal time & space. Peri has been taken over by the Nockrauler. The Doctor contained the creature & frees Peri from its clutches. The Doctor & Peri take their leave. Time-Placement: The Doctor makes reference to the Daleks, Sontarans and Cybermen, and Peri seems to recognize them all. We've placed it between Revelation of the Daleks and The Ruins of Heaven as the Doctor's pocket watch is still broken [p.66] .
The Dogs of War by Brian Keene	4th Doctor, Leela and K9
Prague. 2406. The Doctor and Leela are imprisoned by a race of advanced dogs after Leela killed one of them. The Dogs were created by scientists to help with the population, but soon the Dogs began to evolve and became walking, talking, people. K9 meets with Ben Gay-ul and together they free the Doctor, Leela, and the other humans that are held captive. Years later, the Dogs are overthrown and Ben remembers K9 as a good dog. Time-Placement: Arbitrary. we've placed it after other entries in the same gap, just before The Sun Makers given the chess link.
Sunday Afternoon, 848,988 AD by Paul Crilley	7th Doctor and Ace
Ace is bored. She asks the Doctor to land somewhere as it is Sunday, they need a break. They land 847,000 years after Ace's time and discover an SOS written on the streets of Prague. In Gallifreyan. The Doctor and Ace meet John Dee and Edward Kelly, possibly the last two men on earth. They are taken to meet Uriel, an exiled Time Lord, who was stranded in 1380 when his TARDIS was destroyed. He says that another Time Lord arrived, picked him up, and dropped him far into the future, where he discovered the bodies of John and Edward, two men who he met in 1586, who had disappeared. He asks the Doctor to take him back to 1591. The Doctor agrees and when their in flight, Uriel reveals his true colors. He comedeers the TARDIS, knocks out John and Edward and orders the Doctor to get out and take the two men with him. The Doctor does as he is told and he and Ace leave, watching the TARDIS disappear. A few seconds later, the TARDIS appears again. The Doctor sticks his head out, asks if he's gone. The Doctor replies in the affirmitive and the Other-Doctor and Other-Ace drop the two bodies of John and Edward, a younger version, and take their older selves with them. And then the TARDIS appears again and Uriel steps out, this being the one who was supposedly stranded in 1380. The Doctor reveals to Ace that they only travelled back 5 years as that was what he programmed the TARDIS to do. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. They realize that what they have to do next. The Doctor and Ace travel back in time to 1586. They kidnap John and Edward. They travel forward in time to 846,995, meet themselves, and drop the bodies off on schedule. They then take the order versions and drop them off in the past to complete the paradox. Time-Placement: Ace has been with the Doctor for "years" [p.87], so it's later in her run. We've placed it between Nightshade and Love and War.
Nanomorphosis by Stephen Dedman	4th Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry
Prague, 24th Century. The Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive in a museum and discover one of the exhibts is actually a real person. They are arrested for the crime and the Doctor is allowed to investigate the murder. They discover that nanoprobes have been inbedded into the city, creating everything from cars to houses. The Doctor discovers that the victim was a master ballroom dancer. The killer had that knowledge downloaded into him. After narrowing down the list of suspects, the real murderer is caught. Time-Placement: There's a couple of direct references to season 12 confirming a placement straight after Revenge of the Cybermen: the TARDIS needs time to recover from solar flare radiation [p.99] and there's a reference to Planet of the Spiders [p.101].
Spoilsport by Paul Finch	3rd Doctor and Jo
Prague. 2221. The Doctor and Jo are forced to land by Chaloupka. He asks the Doctor to help him solve the mystery of his museum, the Marvels Less Mystifying. It appears to be haunted. The Doctor and Jo investigate the strange occurences. They discover several different ghost-like beings roaming the halls of the museum. The Doctor discovers that two Psion Orbs, devices that project people's thoughts, was the actual cause of all the strange occurences. The Doctor and Jo leave realizing that Chaloupka tricked them into fixing the problem. Time-Placement: After The Curse of Peladon.
War in a Time of Peace by Steven Lockley and Paul Lewis	8th Doctor and Charley
The Doctor and Charley arrive in Prague where its totally dark. They encounter a policewoman, Ilona, who explains that they need to come with her as they are at war. Prague, like most major cities on earth, are protected from any bombardment during this time of war. The Doctor says that at this point in history, there is no war. An army officer, Rijzki, arrives and arrests the Doctor and Charley for being spies. The Doctor tries to convince Rijzki that there is no war going on, but he insists there is. Ilona comes and rescues the Doctor and Charley, but they are pursued by Rijzki. The Doctor finally convinces him to come with him in the TARDIS outside of the dome. Rijzki agrees and the Doctor travels a short distance outside the dome. Rijzki steps outside... ...to beautiful green meadows. He realizes that he's been lied to all this time and agrees to shut the dome off. The Doctor comes to the conclusion that a virus broke out and that is the real reason for the domes. After awhile, Rijzki keeps his word and the dome is shut off. Time-Placement: Nothing specific, but Neverland suggests that the main bulk of the Doctor/Charley short trips, more likely take place between The Chimes of Midnight and Seasons of Fear.
The End of Now by Chris Roberson	4th Doctor and Romana
The Doctor and Romana arrive in Prague in the 30th Century and soon discover that the Charles University is experimenting in time, specifically with Zygma energy. The Doctor and Romana discover that they are being followed, by Jepperson, whom they met earlier. This Jepperson has become deformed due to exposure to Zygma Energy and has come back in time to prevent the experiments from happening. The Doctor reveals to him that if he stopped the city of Prague would be destroyed. Twisted-Jepperson allows the experiment to continue, saving his city. Time-Placement: It seems more like the Second Romana than the First [p.144] - although neither is confirmed. The Earth again reference on p.143 and the absence of K9 suggest after City of Death.
Suspension and Disbelief by Mary Robinette Kowal	5th Doctor
The Doctor sees a body falling over the side of the bridge. The Doctor meets the woman, Kaja, who did it. She explains that she was doing this in order to prepare for her husbands death. The Doctor decides to help her rescue her husband. He takes the marionette and switches it with the real man. The family is reunited. Time-Placement: Arbitrary. No reference is given other than Adric's death. We went for the placement during the Tides of Time arc as Tegan is with the Doctor after Frontios.
Leap Second by Bev Vincent	5th Doctor and Peri
The Doctor and Peri arrives in Prague in the year 2099, New Year's Eve, to attend a lecture by a Dr. Hoffman, who plans on creating a device to leap second, which supposedly causes a time anomally on earth. The Doctor is reunited with Techu, an old friend from Gallifrey, who is there to observe the effects of the Leap Second. The Leap Second is an event that takes place when the clock strikes midnight, 2100. Hoffman captures the Doctor and friends. They discover that Hoffman is actually an alien here as an advanced scout, waiting for the collapse of the planet when 2100 begins. The Doctor allows Techu to press the button, which would start the experiment. Techu presses the button...and... Nothing. The Earth remained as it was. The Doctor drops Techu off in Vienna and they leave for the next adventure. Time-Placement: explicitly takes place straight after The Church of Football [p.158].
Lady of the Snows by James Swallow	8th Doctor and Charley
Yan discovers a body of a woman lying in the snows on the outskirts of the city. He takes her back to his home and nurses her back to health. She has no memory of who she is or where she came from. Yan is inspired by stories she claims are dreams that she has. Yan is an artist and has a display for all his new work. A man comes up to him and asks if he's seen a woman called Charley, who seems to have gone missing. Yan says no, but when he returns to his home he greets the woman as Charley and she reacts. Yan refuses to reveal anymore to her as he needs her for his work. Time passes, the Doctor comes again asking for Charley. Yan again says he doesn't know of anyone named Charley. Yan's friend finds out that Yan has been lying to Charley all this time and tells him to tell her the truth. Yan tells the Doctor that he has Charley. The Doctor explains that Charley shouldn't be here. Prague is actually apart of a "gallery" for aliens trillions of years into the future. Charley is an anomaly, that's why she has no memories. Yan agrees to return Charley to him. Charley is reunited with the Doctor. Time-Placement: reference to Seasons of Fear on p.176.
The Time Eater by Lee Battersby	2nd Doctor and Jamie
The Doctor and Jamie arrive in Prague and discover that time is out of synch, as different time periods begin to appear, moving backwards in time. The Doctor soon realizes that even his notebook, a book about every place in history, is slowly disolving in his hands. Time is being erased. He realizes that it is a Doredsor, an creature as old as the universe and that feeds on time. Prague shifts to the point before the city even existed, about 50,000 BCE. The Doctor and Jamie find the Doredsor and discover it is dying. Jamie pleads with the Doctor to help it. In the end, the Doctor allows the Doredsor to feed on the TARDIS just long enough and then it falls into the sun and dies. Time-Placement: We've placed it before The Two Doctors as it's the first time Jamie's seen the remote control for the TARDIS [p.194-5].
Fable Fusion by Gary A. Braunbeck and Lucy A. Snyder	7th Doctor and Ace
Ace dreams of a little girl in a tower asking for her father to play for her. She awakens inside the TARDIS startled by the dream. The Doctor received a distress call from Elizabeth Shaw. They arrive in Prague in 2050. They meet Elizabeth Holub, Shaw's granddaughter. She explains that she is apart of a group of scientists who are experimenting with cold fusion. Six months ago strange things started to appear around the Jewish district of the city. The Doctor and Ace investigate the disturbances. They discover that six months ago an explosion occured at a castle. Ace reveals that her dream took place at said castle. She also said that a little girl was there asking for her father. The Doctor soon realizes that this little girl, Napev, lost her father in the explosion. Angry she had the ability to create whatever she wanted, and these disturbances were actually from fairy tales she read. The Doctor convinces Napev stop her attacks and offers to take her back with them. All the disturbances disappear. The Doctor and Ace leave with Napev coming along. Time-Placement: We've placet it between Battlefield and Relative Dementias. Ace is familiar with UNIT and the Brigadier but not Liz Shaw (whom she references in Relative Dementias. p.88). She's still under 18 and unfamiliar with diving, so it takes place before The Curse of Fenric.
Men of the Earth by Kevin Killiany	5th Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan
The Doctor and his companions land where they thought was Prague, but instead they appear to be underground. They learn that in reality they are several kilometers down from Prague. People have attempted to create a facility deep underground for research. The Doctor soon discovers a body, a member of the team that they just happened to be speaking to a short while ago. The body had been dead long before that. The Doctor discovers that millions of years ago, there was another race before the Silurians and they were the dominant species on Earth. They have been underground all this time. Since the humans started digging underground, their resting place was disturbed. These lifeforms decide to wipe out humanity for invading their home. The Doctor convinces them otherwise and the humans leave, vowing never to return. Time-Placement: Leads into Snakedance. It's the Mara's subconscious manipulation of Tegan that leads her to set the controls for Manussa.
Across Silent Seas by Tim Waggoner	2nd Doctor and Jamie
The Doctor and Jamie receive a distress call. They land and travel through a timestorm. They arrive in Prague and notice that the people seem to be moving slowly. The entire planet is surrounded by a time field, except for Prague. The Doctor and Jamie are captured and taken to see Kemen. The Doctor discovers that they are holding a Moreni, a fish-like alien that has power over time and that the experiments done on it is what is causing the time storms and that it is he that sent the distress signal to the Doctor. The Doctor is forced to help Kemen to fix the problems that's causing the maelstrom's that's taken over the planet. The Doctor fixes the problem at the cost of the Moreni's life. Kemen realizes that everything is back to normal and threatens to start the experiments all over again. The Moreni arrive to retrieve their fallen member and Kemen is punished for his actions against them. The Doctor and Jamie take their leave. Time-Placement: We've placed it after The Time Eater.
The Dragons of Prague by Todd McCaffrey	4th Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry
The Doctor, Sarah, and Harry arrive in Prague in the year 2012. The Doctor challenged an alien race called the Drak, as in Dragons, in order to save the world. He lost and as a result the dinosaurs were wiped out. Now the Drak's leader, Drakos, has now cashed in the wager. The Doctor must duel Drakos... In a cooking contest. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Sarah and Harry worry as the Doctor has never cooked before, but he insists that everything would be fine. The Doctor is presented with Drakos' meal, which is incredible. The Doctor is given 24 hours to prepare his meal. Sarah worries even more when the Doctor doesn't seem all that worried. The Doctor had sent out Harry to get one ingredient. Salt. Twenty-four hours later, the Doctor and Sarah meet with Drakos to present his meal. The Doctor orders Sarah to pour out the salt at the entrance of the TARDIS, which she does. Drakos lunges forward...and chows down on snails. Flesh-eating snails that have invaded the earth. Drakos is most delighted with the meal and declares the Doctor the winner. The Doctor now gives him a challenge to remain here on earth, protect the world from these snails, and in 10,000 years they'll duel again. He agrees. Ten thousand years from now, the Drak are universally known as the best culinary aliens. The Doctor knows this, as it already happened. Time-Placement: We've placed it after Nanomorphosis. Contunity Note: This story seems to contradict the events of Earthshock, where a freighter, not the Drak's ship, was the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Omegamorphosis by Stel Pavlou	7th Doctor
The Doctor tends to a young boy, Callum, who is really sick. Other people in the house offer no help for him whatsoever. The Doctor takes him down to supper and all around him it appears that everyone is a "phantom". The Doctor shows Callum what he really looks like: a mouse. A humanoid-mouse. The Doctor insists he be taken to Callum's master. The Doctor discovers that it is actually The Master. He wants to use Callum as a host for his final regeneration. The Doctor stops his process and Callum is forced to realize that he is an outsider. Neither human nor mice would ever want him. The Doctor takes Callum up to bed. Callum slowly falls asleep in death. Time-Placement: The Doctor wears a tweed jacket and his question mark pullover [p.281]. He has a sonic screwdriver [p.291] and appears to be working for the Time Lords [p.291]. The Master is trying to extend his life again although there are no references to Survival. He has a black goatee [p.290]. The Doctor acquires a new sonic screwdriver from Romana in Lungbarrow; in which he also wears his question mark pullover [p.40] with his new tweed jacket, so we went with a placement between Lungbarrow and the Seventh Doctor's appearance in The Eight Doctors.
Source: Duane Vibert with placement notes by David Hancock

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