BASIC PLOT
The TARDIS arrives in 22nd century Africa, where agri-teams are growing food in the rich soil around a dormant volcano to feed the hungry millions of Earth. However, the time travellers detect an alien signal nearby. As something moves in the volcanic tunnels, the Doctor realises an ancient trap has been triggered.

DOCTOR
Tenth.

COMPANIONS
Rose Tyler.

MATERIALISATION CIRCUIT
Pg 11 In the middle of a crop field, Chad, Africa, 2119 (pg 16/17).

PREPARATORY READING
None.

CONTINUITY REFERENCES
Pg 16 "The ship was telepathic, it got inside your head and could translate any language you liked" Rose was able to think about this in The End of the World too, so presumably its signifier as a symbol of alien possession is on the blink (The Masque of Mandragora). either that, or there's more going on here than we realise.

Pg 22 "Who's playing Bond these days? Cal MacNannovitch was my favourite - it's always the one you grow up with, isn't it?" As might be said of which Doctor you grew up with.

Pg 37 "The man had finally shown some ID that proclaimed him to be from thre Global famring Standards Commission, here to make a spot inspection of the agri-unit." Otherwise known as psychic paper (The End of the World et al.)

Pg 40 "He produced a small ceramic tool from his trouder pockets. The top glowed vlue as he held it against one of the figure's slab-like fingers." The sonic screwdriver, first seen in Fury From the Deep, now seen in just about every episode, ever.

Pgs 114-115 "Have you met the French, but the way?" The Girl in the Fireplace.

Pg 116 "Have you any idea how difficult it is to resonate sound frequencies through rock this thick when..." The Doctor Dances.

Pg 124 "Remember the way we gave the Krillitanes a headache in that school with the fire alarm?" School Reunion.

Pg 169 Reference to Jackie (Rose et al).

Pg 178 "We can adapt the Kilbracken technique." The Invisible Enemy.

Pg 207 "'New bodies, always tricky getting used to them, isn't it?' the Doctor remarked, eyeing the nearest of the dark doorways. 'Cup of tea helps, I always say.'" The Christmas Invasion.

Pg 224 "Ever met the French, but the way?" The Girl in the Fireplace.

Pg 251 "Is it better that the Henry van Stattens of this world get their hands on it every time?" Dalek.

OLD FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES
None.

NEW FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES
Male and Female, Faltato, Korr, Solomon, Adiel.

CONTINUITY COCK-UPS

• Pg 218 "Adiel waited, breath baited." Maybe it would have been better if she'd waited with breath bated.

PLUGGING THE HOLES [Fan-wank theorizing of how to fix continuity cock-ups]

• Despite being under a volcano in central Africa, Adiel was a keen fisherwoman and liked to store the bait in her mouth for reasons best left unexplained.

FEATURED ALIEN RACES
Pg 85 Faltato, a spiky creature, with a fat neck, pincers for hands and a multitude of legs. It has long bristly eyelashes around five piggy eyes (pg 92) and a number of tingues (pg 95).

Pg 143 Wurms, worm-like creatures with special attachments on stubby arms and no legs, about the size of a baby elephant.

FEATURED LOCATIONS
Pg 16 Chad, Africa, April 2118 (pg 17), underneath and around Mount Tarsus (pg 21).

IN SUMMARY - Robert Smith?
There are some decent attempts to shake things up, with the African setting, the art theme and Faltato, a hideous alien who turns out to be a pampered middleman. Unfortunately, it soon devolves into two warring factions, as the Wurms take revenge against the Valnaxi and humans get diced in the crossf-- Sorry, nodded off there for a moment. For an NSA, it's slightly above average. Make of that what you will.