Mondas Passing (short story)

Mondas Passing was the eighth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips. It was written by Paul Grice. It featured Polly Wright and Ben Jackson.

Summary
It is December 31, 1986. Ben and Polly are meeting in a hotel room to reminisce about their experience at the Snowcap space tracking station in Antarctica. While Ben waits for Polly to arrive, he watches the news for any mention of Mondas' approach. Polly arrives, and while there is an awkward moment, they soon begin recalling their adventures and their friends, the Doctor and Jamie. Ben speculates that various organisations may have hushed up the events of Snowcap. They part ways, ready to face the new year.

Characters

 * Ben Jackson
 * Polly Wright

Worldbuilding

 * Ben believes that numerous governments may have covered up the return of Mondas and the Cyberman invasion of the Snowcap in Antarctica.
 * In the 20 years since they left the TARDIS, Ben and Polly had a relationship for a time but they eventually separated and married other people.

Continuity

 * Ben and Polly returned to Earth on 20 July 1966, the very same day that they began their travels in the TARDIS. (TV: The War Machines, The Faceless Ones)
 * Ben mentions the launch of the Zeus spacecrafts by the International Space Command earlier in the year and that he saw General Cutler and the Snowcap on the news. (TV: The Tenth Planet)
 * Ben feels somewhat guilty about leaving his wife on her own for New Year's Eve in spite of the fact that he knows from personal experience that the Cybermen were defeated at the Snowcap in December 1986 (TV: The Tenth Planet) and on the Moonbase in 2070. (TV: The Moonbase)
 * Ben and Polly discuss the First Doctor's regeneration into his second incarnation (TV: The Tenth Planet) and the confusion of their former companion Jamie McCrimmon, whom Ben describes as "a good bloke," about walking on the Moon. (TV: The Moonbase) They wonder if he is still travelling with the Doctor. (TV: The War Games)
 * Ben and Polly reminisce about Atlantis, (TV: The Underwater Menace) the Battle of Culloden, (TV: The Highlanders) the Roundheads, (PROSE: The Roundheads) the Selachians (PROSE: The Murder Game; AUDIO: The Selachian Gambit), "giant crabs" (TV: The Macra Terror) and the Daleks. (TV: The Power of the Daleks)
 * Although Ben laments that he may never see Polly again, they would eventually marry (AUDIO: The Five Companions) and open an orphanage in India by 2010. (TV: Death of the Doctor)