Under Reykjavik (short story)

Under Reykjavik was a Brief Encounter short story published in Doctor Who Magazine 174. It acts as a prequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

Summary
While the Fourth Doctor is asleep, Romana II busies herself updating some of the TARDIS's burnt-out units by jacking in a G129AT ordnance unit. Unfortunately, the TARDIS lands in the bunker of Magnus Greel beneath the Supreme Alliance fortress in Iceland and the doors won't close. Romana apologises for the interruption and the sound of the TARDIS's cloister bells ringing out — the TARDIS believing it is under attack by the Pus Creatures of Rakos — and casually chats away to Greel. She mentions time travel and debunks Dr Findecker's work on "double nexus particles", starting Greel thinking about the real possibility of time travel. This is further fed when Romana, having fixed the TARDIS with one of the Doctor's old tie-pins, leaves him with a business card for an excellent plastic surgeon in 1998. As soon as she has left, Greel is on the videophone to Findecker... the 1890s sound interesting!

Characters

 * Romana II
 * Magnus Greel

Worldbuilding

 * Greel worries that the Filipino rebels might penetrate the bunker.

Continuity

 * Explains how Magnus Greel ended up in the 19th Century, setting up the events of The Talons of Weng-Chiang.