| ALIEN BODIES by Lawrence Miles |
| Story 6 Synopsis: The Doctor is tipped off that something is afoot, and takes Sam in the TARDIS to Borneo, where in a hidden city, an auction is to take place for The Relic, an object with great value to several parties, to whom the auctioneer, Mr Qixotl, has invited, including the Time Lords, UNISYC and Faction Paradox. The Doctor learns that the Relic is his own dead body. Though the Daleks are invited, they are gazumped by a Kroton. Qixotl invites opening bids, scorning the puniness of their offers. The Kroton storms off back to his ship, manipulated by another bidder. The Doctor uses Faction Paradox's craft to surround the Kroton ship, and so its attacks rebound, destroying the Kroton. But when returning to the city, Qixotl admits he's already sold the Relic in return for his own life, to the Celestis, ex-Time Lords. The Doctor travels to their home, Mictlan, to get his body back, and they make him their agent. But he tricks them. The auction over, the bidders return to their lives, and the Doctor takes the Relic to a quiet planet, Quiescia, and blows it up. |
| Review:- And so, the EDAs finally find a direction... Probably the single most important book in the whole EDA range, this is at heart just a simple runaround in a confined base. The central plot, the auction, allows for a wide cast of differing characters, most of whom hate each other. The idea that the auction is for the Doctor's own future dead body just adds a layer of wit to things. Whilst the future Time Lord and the Celestis are vaguely interesting, the real depth concerns the Krotons and Miles' own creations, Faction Paradox. In many ways, this book is just an attempted advert for FP, which is unfortunately diminished by their one-dimensional dullness. Conversely, the Krotons are given a depth and interest not shown in their single TV story, and are just much more interesting than all the other bidders as a result. Oh well... The usage of interludes at regular intervals allows for some background on each of the bidders, and which shows them in better light than the plot generally does. The sequence in which these are told is also significant in pointing out who are the more important bidders in terms of the result of the auction. One other strand that will become relevant later in the series is that of Sam's rogue biodata. It seems that originally, Sam would have become a ne'erdowell, but that by meeting the Doctor, she became a goody-goody instead. This half-amusing nonsense becomes crucial in Unnatural History, for example, although the debate it presumably is supposed to inspire is pretty boring, in truth. Except in terms of Faction Paradox being very interested in biodata, of course. Nice bit of selflessness there. Homunculette is an ordinary sort of Time Lord, though his Type 103 TARDIS, Marie, has more going for her. Kortez and Bregman, the UNISYC twits, are respectively irrelevant and under-written. Justine and Manjuele have the typical lack of depth that will become familiar traits of FP. Trask isn't given enough depth, but that's probably the point. The Shift is quite interesting, and has the most affecting interlude. E-Kobalt has a stuffiness and honesty that makes it much the most interesting player at the auction. And Qixotl is a shifty double-dealer who makes a series of misjudgements but still comes up smelling of roses. In amidst the chaos, the Doctor tries to keep a cool head, whilst faced with high odds against success, and a deep personal involvement in the outcome. His ruthlessness with Manjuele for trying to use Bregman, and his usage of FP rituals to thwart the Krotons show him as sharp an improviser as ever, whilst also going the extra yard to settle matters. Though much maligned, he double-crosses the Celestis because they deserve it, and settles the issue of the Relic by putting it beyond everybody. It makes for quite an emotional book. On the whole, some call this book a classic, and whilst it isn't as good as that, it does manage to be interesting and make good use of a wide variety of ideas, which is more than some do. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy of the book. |