O, Darkness (short story)

O, Darkness was the fourteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Steel Skies. It was written by John Binns. It featured the Fourth Doctor, Romana II and Adric.

Summary
The Doctor, Romana and Adric arrive in a labyrinthine construction known as the Structure, with is maintained by an administrator named J. The interior of the Structure is a dark, dank and dirty maze of corridors and rooms, while outside lies a wasteland that is threatened by the Encroachment, a hoard of giant, vicious monsters.

While the Doctor and Romana explore, Adric helps J by using a remotely-operated robot to destroy some of the creatures outside. The Doctor discovers that the rooms in the Structure are actually larger rooms sub-divided off by prefabricated walls, which he proceeds to tear down, making the building more open and less oppressive.

He then decides to explore the grounds outside, and, together with Romana, discovers a huge garden filled with beautiful flowers, beyond which lie other, more brightly-lit, buildings. The Doctor realises that J’s virtual reality equipment has been zoomed in on the residue of ash on the flower beds, and that the Encroachment is nothing more than greenfly. Romana encourages J to overcome his fear of the outside world, and as he prepares to venture beyond the confines of the Structure, the Doctor and his companions leave in the TARDIS.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor
 * Romana II
 * Adric
 * J

Continuity

 * The Structure reminds Adric of the Starliner. (TV: Full Circle)
 * Adric thinks he can handle the encroachment, having already dealt with Marshmen (TV: Full Circle) and Great Vampires. (TV: State of Decay)