| THE WHEEL IN SPACE by David Whittaker |
| Story 43 Synopsis: The TARDIS materialises aboard a seemingly derelict spaceship, the Silver Carrier. A crisis with mercury forces the Doctor and Jamie to explore. During an escapade with a Servo Robot, the Doctor loses consciousness. Jamie gets him to nearby space station W3. When the decision is taken to destroy Silver Carrier, Jamie sabotages the laser, causing a threat from meteorite storms. The bernalium rods used on the laser are rendered useless, but crates of bernalium are found on Silver Carrier. The crates are brought across, but contain Cybermen. When the Doctor recovers, he realises that the Cybermen have been causing the havoc with the meteorites, attempting to take over W3. The Doctor sends Jamie and Zoe, a astrophysicist from W3, over to Silver Carrier to fetch some equipment from the TARDIS. He uses it to repel the Cybermen from boarding W3, and their invasion force disperses. Zoe joins the Doctor and Jamie in the TARDIS. To warn her of the terrors they face, the Doctor hooks up to the TARDIS to recount one of his earlier adventures. |
| Review:- The TARDIS returns to space, but in an adventure with consequences for Earth and the human race (once more). Having previously attacked a lunar station, the Cybermen have a go at solar system satellites instead. You can't fault their persistence. Having left Victoria behind, the Doctor and Jamie get off to a bad start aboard the Silver Carrier, and are rather swept along by events thereafter, which works quite well. Jamie's unwitting sabotage is entirely justifiable, even though it helps the Cybermen's plan. The cunning use of Cybermats as the advance party comes off cleverly. By the time the Doctor wakes up again, he's got to play catch-up to prevent the Cybermen walking off with their invasion plan. The staff of W3 are mostly a dreary bunch. Jarvis Bennett is the latest in the line of leaders of cut-off bases who become mad at the drop of a hat. Having said that, his self-sacrifice in part 6 does atone for his earlier behaviour. Beyond him, only Zoe Herriot makes a positive impression, which is fortunate (unless the characterisation of the others was forgotten in the push to make her interesting). Her initial confidence is soon eroded, to be replaced by a more genuine surety. This is an odd story, which seems to take a very long time to get anywhere. The W3 are so hopeless that the audience is almost inclined to cheer on the Cybermen, were it not for the fact that the silver baddies are having an off-day anyway. Though reasonable, I couldn't recommend this, even for Zoe's debut. |
| Disclaimer: I've read the book at some time. |