Autonomy (novel)

Published in September 2009, Autonomy was one of the last set of three original novels published featuring the Tenth Doctor in the standard BBC New Series Adventures line.

Publisher's summary
Hyperville is 2013's top hi-tech 24 hour entertainment complex - a sprawling palace of fun under one massive roof. You can go shopping, or experience the excitement of Doomcastle, WinterZone, or Wild West World. But things are about to get a lot more exciting- and dangerous...

What unspeakable horror is lurking on Level Zero of Hyperville? And what will happen when the entire complex goes over to Central Computer Control.

For years, the Nestene Consciousness has been waiting and planning, recovering from its wounds. But now is ready, and its deadly plastic Autons are already in place around the complex. Now more than ever, visiting Hyperville will be an unforgettable experience.

Plot
The TARDIS lands in Hyperville, 2013, a top hi-tech entertainment complex, The Doctor explores, and meets Chantelle and Reece Stanford, he goes with them on a ride, and then encounters plastic witches with come to life, they are deactivated, and they escape.

Celebrities Shaneeqi and her footballer husband arrive at the complex. Miss Devonshire is a high power in Hyperville.

The Doctor gets into trouble for using his Sonic Screwdriver to interfere with technology and has it "confiscated" (he didn't give them the real thing). The Doctor encounters Kate Maguire, who is investigating the complex, and together, they go into the WinterZone, where they find a setting similar to the novel, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". The Snow Queen attacks them, and then comes up into the shopping area before being shut down.

Derek is followed home after noticing a Child Auton move, the Auton kills him, his wife discovers him dead, and The Doctor investigates. He realises that they are dealing with Autons.

The Nestenes are approaching Earth.

There is a party, and Shaneeqis husband turns out to be an Auton, everybody runs out, except the Doctor.

The Doctor is taken away and forced to help the Nestenes in their plan, otherwise all the plastic in the world will be activated and the world will end.

The complex is sealed off, and all the plastic comes to life. Chantelle, Reece and Shaniquee, along Sir Gerry fight their way past the Autons, and hide in the Wild West Zone.

The Doctor tries to reason with Paul Kendrick, to explain he is not an Auton at heart, but a real man. Paul Kendrick then kills Max Carson. Miss Devonshire remembers her childhood, when she discovered the Nestene and how ever since she has been looking after it, and had built Superville, later Superland and then Hyperville over it. The Doctor arrives to the Wild West Zone, where he creates Antiplastic. Paul Kendrick wanders around, struggling to decide whether he is human or part of the Nestene Conciousness.

He uses an antiplastic method to eliminate the Nestene, the Doctor then visits Kate in 2009 and gives her the Hyperville card, then departs for new adventures.

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Nestene Consciousness
 * Autons
 * Kate Maguire
 * Andrea Watkins
 * Lisa
 * Jeff
 * Bob
 * Beta-4
 * Shaneeqi (a.k.a Shannon Eyam)
 * Paul Kendrick
 * Max Carson
 * Miss Elizabeth Devonshire
 * Derek
 * Reece Stanford
 * Chantelle Stanford
 * Sir Gerry Hobbes-Mayhew
 * Captain Tess Tilbrook
 * Captain Erisa Magambo (Mentioned)

Books

 * The Fat Controller from the "Thomas the Tank Engine" books is mentioned.

Cultural references

 * Celebrity couple Shaneeqi and Paul Kendrick form an obvious parody of Posh and Becks.

The Doctor

 * The Doctor mentions his visit to Snowglobe 7 as well as visits to other 'shopping palaces' on Dargeb IV and the second moon of Ororous.
 * The Doctor mentions the old TV test card and the "Credit Crunch".
 * The Doctor mentions Disneyland and Blackpool's "Golden Mile".
 * The Doctor has trouble getting the pink wedge in "Trivial Pursuit".
 * The Doctor mentions "The Wookie Prisoner Trick" from "Star Wars".

Individuals

 * There is an oblique reference to Sarah Jane Smith and her Aunt Lavinia on page 78.
 * Chantelle confuses John Wayne with Bruce Wayne.
 * The Doctor references watching David Hasselhoff sing twice.

TARDIS

 * The Doctor closes the TARDIS doors by snapping his fingers

Television series

 * "The X-Factor" is explicitly mentioned and a television is showing "Deal or No Deal".

Continuity

 * The Autons, and the Nestene Consciousness, last appeared in DW: Rose.
 * The Nestene Consciousness and the Autons were the first aliens used in the new series of Doctor Who (2005), appearing in the episode DW: Rose.
 * Captain Erisa Magambo and UNIT are mentioned.
 * The events of DW: Spearhead from Space and DW: Terror of the Autons were mentioned.
 * Henrik's department store has an outlet in Hyperville.
 * The Doctor recalls the events of Brave New Town.
 * "Every organisation...needed a Max." seems to be a reference to DW: The Long Game and/or DW: Voyage of the Damned.
 * The Doctor clicks his fingers to shut the TARDIS' doors; he previously did this in DW: Forest of the Dead.

Timeline

 * Autonomy occurs after:NSA: The Taking of Chelsea 426
 * Autonomy occurs before: NSA: The Krillitane Storm

Audio release
to be added