Mysterons Strike First (short story)

Mysterons Strike First was a short story printed in TV Century 21 that contained elements from the Doctor Who universe. Framed as the front page of an in-universe periodical, the titular article instead made reference to the Captain Scarlet content in the issue with a smaller piece tying-in to the Front Page comic story The Giant Seed, which was a crossover with the DWU.

Summary
At the Spectrum Mars Observation Post on Alaska's Mount McKinley, everything seems normal as the off-coming watch collect their meals of bacon, sausage and beans. However, after mass prayers are said, the Mysterons strike. Each plate of food is suddenly turned to gas, which quickly engulfs the building and incapacitates all its staff. As soon as the automatic alarm is raised, Captain Blue of Spectrum is ordered to Mount McKinley to determine how the mysterionised food got into the base and to ascertain the Mysterons' next move. At a press conference on the event, Colonel White defends the McKinley observation post and its purpose as part of a worldwide chain to watch Mars at all times, stating the chain was "vital to Spectrum's defence role against the Mysterons" and questioning "who can say when they might turn from using Mysteronised humans to more conventional forms of space attack?".

Elsewhere, reporter Pete Tracker covers the arrival of the Universal Secret Service submarine the Vanquish in the Bosphorus along with the Earth emergency branch of the service. Sent to deal with the creature from outer space currently destroying Istanbul, evacuation from the area is ordered while USS men cordon off the city with instructions directly from the World President to allow nobody to enter. As refugees flee, scientists and the military intensify their efforts, with World Government and USS troops being told to attack the growth with incendiary bombs in a desperate attempt to kill or delay it. However, Tracker claims they are wasting their time, citing the ineffectiveness of the same method when the giant seed was first found in the Taurus Mountains, which only served to temporarily drive it underground for it to later reappear in Istanbul. Tracker states his belief that subtler methods are required and announces his intentions to leave for Istanbul in three minutes, where he shall attempt to get a sample of the creature and fly it to the research laboratories in Unity City. He closes by saying that if he is successful then chemical measures may be found to deal with the crisis but if he fails then this will constitute his last report.

Meanwhile, Marineville is at battle stations, sixty feet below the ground. For the first time in its history, the base, commanded by Commander Shore, is tense. They await an attack by Titan, who has obtained control of a "fantastic" new freezeray and finally decided to move openly against the World Aquanaut Security Patrol. Peoples across the world ask if Marineville can overcome the weapon but only time can answer.

On Mars, the Mars Grand Prix commences at the same circuit where Alan Tracy clinched the World Championship five years earlier. Tracy, who participates yet again, streaks away from the start, facing no serious competition for the win. Knowing that a one-sided race would surely bore the fans, Tracy sets his efforts towards beating the clock. Lap after lap, he takes seconds from the lap record. At the beginning of the final lap, Tracy really opens up his red Hackenbacker 1 to achieve a top speed of three-hundred-and-ten miles per hour on the back straight, bringing the exciting race to an end.

Somewhere else, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is tasked by the editor of the best-selling woman's magazine Femme to "land on a tiny island off the north of Scotland, and find this writer". Accepting the challenge, Penelope begins her preparations, with the latest rumours suggesting she will make the long journey by balloon.

Finally, on the soccer scene: Coran and Young of Unity F.C. score one and two goals respectively in the last seven minutes of the game to beat W.S.P. 5-4; the Arctic Rangers' goalkeeper Sanders kicks the the referee during a dispute over an off-side goal resulting in his suspension; Inter-Milan's youngest player Franco Faria plays excellently in the second half and scores three successive goals against Paris to win a club dinner held in his honour; the match between Alston and Heralden is stopped twelve minutes into the second half after six members of Heralden are sent off for foul play; and Hotspur score a second goal against the Spectrum Reserves in the second half to win 2-1.

Characters

 * Captain Blue
 * Colonel White
 * Pete Tracker
 * Alan Tracy
 * Penelope Creighton-Ward
 * Commander Shore
 * Coran
 * Young
 * Sanders
 * Franco Faria
 * Editor of Femme
 * Referee
 * Victim of Mysteron Gas

Worldbuilding

 * The scene at Mount McKinley marks the first time in their war on Earth that the Mysterons have attacked without warning.
 * Twenty-four hour video tape runs constantly at all Spectrum bases.
 * Captain Blue takes an SPV to Mount McKinley Observation Station.
 * The Vanquish is fully-equipped with laser artillery and fire-fighting apparatus, and is boarded by experts in germ warfare and demolition.
 * Pete Tracker describes Istanbul as the "historic capital" of the Far East.
 * Marineville is protected from attacks while at battle stations by cahelium steel.
 * Titan is the leader of the Aquaphibians.
 * In contrast to his dominant performance at 2067's Mars Grand Prix, his win in the 2062 race was a neck and neck affair.
 * The Hackenbacker I was built and designed by Brains of the Thunderbirds organisation and won the Grand Prix at an average speed of two-hundred-and-ninety-two miles per hour.
 * The half-time scores in football are: WASP Wanderers 3, Space City 2; Kahra City United 1, Combined Patrol 1; Unity F.C. 2, W.S.P. 4; Inter-Milan 0, Paris 1; Manchester 2, U.S.S. 0; Arctic Rangers 1, Academicals 3; Alston 2, Heralden 3; Ranson 4, Sussex; Spectrum Reserves 1, Hotspur 1; and Combined Varsity 2, London D 5.

Story notes

 * This story is another crossover with Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Front Page, 21, Stingray and Thunderbirds.
 * Notably, Mysterons Strike First marked the first cover story to be a total of two pages long because, as of TV21 150, articles on the front page were longer and carried over onto the backcover. This format change was short-lived, however, as TV Century 21 abandoned cover stories entirely at the start of 1968, beginning with TV21 155.
 * Uniquely, this cover story references events occurring in TV21's sister magazine Lady Penelope. The article about Lady Penelope, who doesn't feature at all in this story's issue, was a tie-in to the Lady Penelope comic story which commenced simultaneously with the publication of Mysterons Strike First.

Continuity

 * The "mass of vegetation" erupted into the centre of Istanbul "last week" and is gradually taking over the city. (COMIC: The Giant Seed)
 * Pete Tracker makes reference to the discovery of the seed in the Taurus Mountains. (COMIC: The Giant Seed)
 * Once again, Marineville is at battle stations awaiting an attack from Titan. (PROSE: Titan Declares War!)