BASIC PLOT
It's 1999, and the Millennium Bug threatens to bring the world's computers to a standstill. And it has some help from some old enemies.

DOCTOR
Fourth.

COMPANIONS
An older Harry Sullivan.

An older Sarah Jane Smith makes a brief cameo at the beginning.

MATERIALISATION CIRCUIT
Pg 23 Inside the Condef office block, December 1999.

Pg 54 We don't see it happen, but the TARDIS is in Harry's spare bedroom.

Pg 82 In George Gardner's bunker in Yorkshire (offscreen).

Pg 127 The TARDIS is back in Harry's room.

Pg 128 In George's bunker again (and again offscreen).

Pg 147 The Doctor is back in London, presumably via TARDIS.

PREPARATORY READING
This is a direct sequel to System Shock, although the background is explained.

A passing familiarity with Millennial Rites may help, but it's not essential.

CONTINUITY REFERENCES
Pg 1 "They met at Jardines" The prologue here repeats the epilogue from System Shock.

"Then they chatted for a few minutes, about the old days - UNIT, the Doctor, their travels." Robot through The Android Invasion.

"He took it back, and peered at the side of the pen in the subdued restaurant lighting. The logo was a capital letter I with a small 2 above and to the right of it - I squared." This is the pen Sarah got from the I_2 organisation in System Shock. We get a potted history of that adventure.

Pg 2 "I have to get back to Moreton Harwood, sort out Aunt Lavinia's things." K9 and Company.

Pg 5 "After Stabfield's recent spectacular failure at I^2, I think caution is warranted." System Shock

Pg 23 "'Little look round, Doctor?' he said cheerfully to himself as he went." The Face of Evil.

Pg 51 "The Doctor sat in an armchair holding an empty bottle of ginger beer." The Android Invasion. (He also orders ginger beer in System Shock).

Pg 52 "His feet, they could see, were in leather buccaneer-style boots. They could see this because he was leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table." The Seeds of Doom (he also does this in System Shock).

Pg 62 "Hertman's team should be arriving at the Ashley Chapel Logistics building about now." Ashley Chapel appeared in Millennial Rites.

Pg 65 "Ashley Chapel Logistics. Some new office building." Millennial Rites.

Pg 69 "I'll see anyone." Robot.

Pg 70 "Some company that got into trouble. Chapel took it over. Eye Square, or something." Millennial Rites, System Shock.

Pg 74 "'It all came from a company that shut down,' Harry was saying quietly: 'I^2.' 'Voracians,' the Doctor breathed." System Shock.

Pg 79 "If there's another group of Voracians here, besides the ones that reported to Lionel Stabfield at I^2, then we need to smoke them out." System Shock.

Pg 80 "You say the police are holding the man who tried to break into Chapel's place the first time?" Millennial Rites.

Pg 81 "Eventually Harry managed to find out the name of the officer in charge of the investigation into the raid on Ashley Chapel Logistics." Millennial Rites.

Pgs 81-82 "'How the hell did you get in here? he demanded in a shaky voice as soon as he had recovered enough for his voice to work. The Doctor looked surprised. 'Through the door.'" Underworld.

Pg 91 "He hesitated just a moment before carefully removing the chip Harry had taken from the Ashley Chapel store room" Millennial Rites.

Pg 99 "So instead he directed his sonic screwdriver at the hinges of the door." Fury From the Deep et al.

Pg 113 "I'm afraid the ACL business has reduced my efficiency quotient by 7 per cent this calendar quarter." Millennial Rites.

Pg 130 The fictional state of Krejikistan (supposedly part of the former Soviet Union) also appeared in Option Lock.

Pg 152 "'He's with the CIA.' The Doctor made a face. 'I'm hoping you mean the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America,' he said. 'Otherwise we really are in trouble.'" The Deadly Assassin et al.

Pg 204 "Stabfield's mistake was to use force to try to achieve our ends" System Shock.

Pg 216 "Then he clambered over a table and started measuring out distances on another map using his scarf as a ruler." Pyramids of Mars.

"I'm using Venusian grobbits for accuracy." Venusians have been mentioned since The curse of Peladon and seen in Venusian Lullaby.

Pg 253 "I defeated it before, I'll destroy it again." System Shock.

Pg 258 "In the back of the helicopter, the Doctor caught his yo-yo as it rolled back up the string and thrust it into his coat pocket." The Ark in Space et al.

Pg 279 "We had a little debate about the value of emotions, I recall." System Shock.

OLD FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES
Pg 74 The Voracians (from System Shock).

Pg 97 Robert Gibson (from System Shock).

Pg 219 President Dering (from Option Lock).

Pg 280 Voractyll (from System Shock).

NEW FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES
George Gardner, Philip Cotton, General Randall, Terry Brooks, Colonel Grant, Mike Foley, Premier Dimitri, Colonel Krimkov.

CONTINUITY COCK-UPS

1. Pg 31 "Everyone says its brilliant, a simple and immediate fix." Its brilliant what?
2. Pg 83 "I've been on the newsgroups and trolling the Internet since I got here." In the words of Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
3. Pg 90 "He reached out a hand towards the pizza box left from the night before. As is hand snaked inside, Clark reached out and slammed the lid shut violently on it. Dave screamed in pain" Wait, sorry, what? Clark slams Dave hand in a cardboard pizza box - and this causes Dave to scream in pain? (It's explicitly a cardboard box as well, as the previous page makes clear.) This may take the prize for the wimpiest torture scene in all of Doctor Who.
4. Pg 269 "He was out of breath, hadn't run so far or so fast for years. Not since last time the Doctor had enlisted his help, in fact." Which would be one year ago, in System Shock.

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

1. The brilliance belongs to itself. That's how brilliant it is. (Or how brilliant its.)
2. Even in 1999, when trolling was an art form, it was still about being a nuisance. Even though George is a computer expert, he still likes to troll the crazies online.
3. David is very sensitive. His father used to beat him with a tissue.
4. Harry misses the Doctor so much that the gaps feel longer. Bless.

FEATURED ALIEN RACES
Pg 86 The Voracians, half rganic, half robotic creatures who grafted the organis parts onto themselves.

FEATURED LOCATIONS
Pg 1 London, 1999-2000 (pgs 17, 211).

Pg 9 A Lynx helicopter.

Pg 17 Siberia.

Pg 130 Krejikistan.

Pg 196 Several helicopters.

Pg 201 Nevchenka.

Pg 205 A military plane.

Pg 258 A helicopter.

IN SUMMARY - Robert Smith?
This is a fun little potboiler, with verve and energy. The sequelitis is perfectly fine, because it's a sequel to a book in a different line, which is at least interesting, and it doesn't get in the way of the story. The Doctor is decent, a lot less awkwardly written than in the novel's prequel, Harry is excellent, and Sarah's magazine article in the prologue is sensational. The action is fun, and the Y2K fears bring a nostalgic smile to the face now that we have some distance from it. Surprisingly decent all around.