Time of the Ood (comic story)

 was the fourth mainstream story published in Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor year three.

Summary
The Doctor and Alice Obiefune are summoned to The Devil's Eye by a telepathic message channeled through the Sapling by an old friend.

Plot
While the Doctor is working on exciting the TARDIS' contrafibulator he is interrupted by a call from Alice Obiefune who tells him that the Sapling has fallen ill. The Doctor quickly observes the Sapling but is stumped as to the cause of the illness especially when The Sapling begins to repeat a message telling the pair to "Share the song" and "Bring them home". The Doctor decides to leave the Sapling aboard the TARDIS to rest while he and Alice investigate where they have landed. The pair find themselves on The Devil's Eye - a galaxy class pleasure hub - which is being ravaged by red-eye Ood.

The Doctor is able to ward off a group of Ood by re-routing a temporary stasis shield from the station's primary emitter coil. This is witnessed by Head of Maintenance Jonni Halburton who uses a short range teleport to bring the Doctor and Alice to her. Jonni reveals that she is the cause of the Ood's possession as revenge against them for their willingness to serve which she views as undermining her extremist work freeing the rest of the Ood from slavery as part of the Friends of the Ood. However, Jonni is killed when one of the Ood electrocutes her with their translator ball.

The Doctor comes up with a plan to free the Ood by handing Alice the data slice which is frying their mind and instructing her to return to the TARDIS and place it onto the Sapling's forehead so that it can be amplified by his psychic connection to the Ood. Alice manages to carry out her task, with help from the Doctor who deactivates the base's stasis bubble, and the Ood are freed. The Doctor takes the Ood to the Ood Sphere and reunites with Ood Sigma who reveals that he was the one who sent the psychic message to the Sapling.

Characters

 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Alice Obiefune
 * The Sapling
 * Ood
 * Jonni Halburton
 * Ood Sigma

Worldbuilding

 * Alice and the Sapling play chess.

Continuity

 * The Doctor claims that chess is a "dull game" favoured by control freaks (TV: Nightmare in Silver) and robot dogs (TV: The Sun Makers, The Androids of Tara) unless it was coursing with sixty thousand volts. (TV: The Wedding of River Song)
 * The Ood use their translator balls to kill their victims. (TV: The Impossible Planet, et al.)
 * Many references are made to the Ood being freed from slavery. (TV: Planet of the Ood)
 * A Cwrier was among the guests on The Devil's Eye. (COMIC: Remembrance)
 * Jonni Halburton is the last member of the Friends of the Ood. (TV: Planet of the Ood)
 * The Ood's telepathic field is at Basic 100. (TV: The Impossible Planet)
 * Ood Sigma remarks on the Doctor having learnt not to delay. (TV: The End of Time)

Time of the Ood