BASIC PLOT
A huge, mobile city is excavating the world of Ceres Alpha for colonisation. The city's chief archaeologist swears that there is evidence of a lost civilisation, but the city's leaders aren't interested. Until strange babies start being born to human mothers and the scientific advisor sent by Earth starts asking a lot of awkward questions.

DOCTOR
Eighth.

COMPANIONS
Fitz and Anji.

MATERIALISATION CIRCUIT
Ceres Alpha, 2847, in and around a mobile, excavating city.

PREPARATORY READING
None.

CONTINUITY REFERENCES
Pg 25 "To remain at home selling half-dead shrubs to half-dead biddies." The Taint.

Pg 166 "Settle down somewhere with kids that I can show an open sky with birds wheeling around in it. Can you imagine that?" This echoes the Doctor's line in An Unearthly Child.

Pg 98 Reference to Dave (Escape Velocity).

OLD FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES
None.

NEW FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES
Josef and Veta Manni

Danyal Bains

The original inhabitants of Ceres Alpha

CONTINUITY COCK-UPS

• Pg 98 "What looked like chunks of technology out of Start Trek: The Next Generation" I wonder if this is related to Star Trek?

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

• Anji's just woken up and is feeling disoriented.

FEATURED ALIEN RACES
The original inhabitants of Ceres Alpha, manifesting themselves as babies.

FEATURED LOCATIONS
Pg 7 Ceres Alpha, Sep 11, 2847

Pg 23 Ceres Alpha, Nov 9, 2847

IN SUMMARY - Robert Smith?
This is a nice little page-turner that moves along well enough until you stop and realise that it isn't actually moving anywhere. However, it's nicely written and has some interesting characters. The Doctor's impersonation of the scientific advisor from Earth inverts itself as a Who cliche but there's far too much running around and a stonkingly dumb Big Revelation at the end that goes absolutely nowhere. It's a little light on plot, but it has a sweet charm to it.