Making History (short story)

Summary
The TARDIS materialises on an asteroid where Space-General Sir Robert ‘Titan’ Simmons is due to sign a historic peace treaty with the alien Omwanar, ending ten years of war. Unfortunately, Simmons has just died of a suspiciously inconvenient heart attack. His subordinate, Space-Colonel Rufus Malvin, concludes that they now have no choice but to put the fleet back on a war footing, but the Doctor suggests that Steven stand in for the late Simmons, since it’s unlikely that the alien, jellyfish-like Omwanar can distinguish between one human and another. Malvin reluctantly agrees to play along, and Steven attends the signing with the Omwanar representative, Lyshur Lysus. Meanwhile, the Doctor examines Simmons’ body, and finds that the Space-General has been poisoned with an Omwanar neurotoxin; however, he refuses to believe that the Omwanar themselves are responsible. Malvin pulls a gun on the Doctor and Simmons’ aide, Harlow, admitting that he killed the General in order to prevent the peace treaty, which he fears will simply give the Omwanar an excuse to retrench and then counter-attack. Malvin forces the Doctor and Harlow into the treaty signing room, intending to kill Lysus and arrest Steven as an impostor and Omwanar sympathiser. However, Steven has just learned that, as part of the peace settlement, Lysus intends to lay eggs within Steven’s body so that his spawn will have fresh meat to devour when they hatch. Lysus and Steven have been getting on quite well, and in the heat of the moment, when Malvin tries to shoot him, Lysus attacks and implants his eggs in Malvin’s body instead. The process of giving birth is fatal to the Omwanar, but before Lysus dies, the Doctor signs the treaty on Lysus’ behalf, and Steven signs on behalf of the late Simmons.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Steven Taylor

Continuity
to be added

Timeline

 * This story occurs after Waiting for Jeremy
 * This story occurs before Do You Smell Carrots?