Osskah (short story)

Osskah was the thirteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Snapshots. It was written by Gary Owen, and featured the Eighth Doctor.

Summary
When the Doctor's TARDIS crash-lands on a mountainside, the avian inhabitants of the planet take the Eighth Doctor to meet their elder, Wingleader Osskah Longspan. The birds choose to throw the Doctor to his death until the Doctor declares himself a god. The Doctor then realises that Osskah is dying and offers to perform surgery in an attempt to prolong his life. During the makeshift surgery, the Doctor distracts Osskah by telling him of his recent adventures. In return, Osskah tells the Doctor of a civil war amongst his people which wiped out half their race, and that he wrote a book chronicling the history of his planet in remembrance. The Doctor and Osskah realise that the Doctor's recent adventure had created a space rift that Osskah's world is being sucked into. Osskah gives his history book of his planet to the Doctor in the hope that his people will be remembered.

Characters

 * Eighth Doctor
 * Osskah Longspan

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to scan Osskah.
 * The Doctor is answering distress calls during the Last Great Time War.

Continuity

 * Osskah calls the Doctor a "lonely god". (TV: New Earth)