A Universe Called Fred (short story)

A Universe Called Fred was a short story published in Doctor Who Annual 1971. It featured the Third Doctor, Liz Shaw and the Brigadier.

Summary
In the UNIT laboratory, the Doctor is talking about the possibility of creating a sub-space radio. He says the last one he made escaped through the dimensions. Two days later he has made a machine capable of communicating with life-forms that exist at a sub-atomic level. Liz thinks that he is talking nonsense but the Doctor insists that he is receiving signals from a universe located somewhere inside a glass jar. He names the universe Fred after an orderly who brings them their tea. Two days further on, the Doctor has contrived a belt that will shrink him down to the size of inhabitants of the tiny universe. Fortunately he has made a spare belt and Liz grabs it, saying that she is coming with him.

They find themselves on a planet that is being menaced by a giant blue rogue star. The Doctor says that this star was mentioned by the aliens that he received radio messages from. Almost at once they are greeted by a party of flying humanoids. The newcomers produce weapons and accuse the Doctor of being the magician that conjured up the blue star. Liz begs him to return them to their own laboratory but the Doctor refuses, saying that he has not achieved what he set out to do.

He tells the flying aliens that they have come to help but they are accused of being spies from the planet Antar. The flying men, Valerons, fly them to a great city and lock them in a cell. They are surprised to find themselves joined by an elderly man called Dynil who brings them food. He says that he is the last of the Antarians, his race was wiped out by the armies of Valerus and they too will be wiped out by the blue star. It was he who sent the plea for help as he saw the rogue star approaching but the Valerons are oblivious to the threat.

The Doctor says that he can help if they can return to the mountain top where they were captured. Dynil forces open the bars of the cell and flies them back to the mountain. Before anybody can do anything the Doctor and Liz find themselves back in the UNIT laboratory facing the perplexed Brigadier. The Doctor thanks him for saving their lives and offers to drive Liz home to rest after her ordeal.

Characters

 * Third Doctor
 * Liz Shaw
 * Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
 * Dynil

Continuity

 * Atom-sized universes also appeared in Atoms Infinite, The Microtron Men and Inter-Galactic Cat.