Leap Second (short story)

Leap Second was the fourteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Destination Prague. It was written by Bev Vincent. It featured the Fifth Doctor and Peri.

Summary
The Doctor is getting some strange readings from the TARDIS. One reading says there will be a temporal anomaly on Earth on 1 January 2100, and the other reading says there won't be any anomaly. He and Peri go to Prague on 31 December to investigate.

While there, the Doctor attends a lecture on the imminent adding of a leap second to Earth's calendar. The second will be added in a staggered fashion all over the world.

As the Doctor goes to meet with Peri for coffee, he notices someone hiding nearby. After a bit of questioning, the man reveals he is Techu, a Time Lord who knew the Doctor on Gallifrey. Techu is concerned that the adding of the leap second will be a disaster for Earth.

He takes them into the laboratory in Prague that will add the leap second. He plans to add the second now, as it would be better than doing it at midnight, but the Doctor is not completely convinced. Before Techu can add the second, however, a security guard appears, holding a weapon.

The three are imprisoned and are visited by Theodore Hoffman, whom Techu introduces as a professor from the University of Utrecht. The Doctor, however, realises that Hoffman is an alien. Hoffman admits that his people's plan is to take advantage of the chaos that will occur on Earth after the adding of the second.

After Hoffman leaves, the Doctor breaks himself and the other two out of their cells and they head back to the laboratory. The Doctor is still unsure of the course of action, but when Hoffman returns and tries to stop Techu, the Doctor realises that Techu's actions will jeopardise Hoffman's plans. Hoffman threatens to shoot Peri, but the Doctor calls his bluff. Techu adds the second now, averting the disaster.

The Doctor offers to take Techu anywhere, but he plans to stay on Earth to continue his work.

Characters

 * Fifth Doctor
 * Peri Brown
 * Dr Theodore Hoffman
 * Donald Kleppner
 * Techu

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor mentions the Berlin Wall.
 * Landmarks in Prague include the Univerzita Karlova and Old Town.
 * The Doctor tells Peri about the Y2K panic.
 * The Doctor mentions a friend of his named Mace who could pick locks.

Continuity

 * The Doctor and Peri recently visited Wembley Stadium on 25 April 1936. (PROSE: The Church of Football)