Childhood Living (short story)

Childhood Living was the thirteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: The Centenarian. It was written by Samantha Baker. It featured the First Doctor and Susan.

Summary
Edward and his granddaughter Linda help the First Doctor and Susan stop some Slarvian eggs from gestating near the English Channel

Plot
The TARDIS is drifting, its dematerialisation circuits overloaded, when it is hit by a Slarvian ship entering Earth's orbit. The Slarvians transport the TARDIS onto their own craft as they plunge through the atmosphere and into the English Channel. When the Doctor and Susan wake up after the impact of the crash they find the Slarvians, giant snail-like creatures, full of politeness. The TARDIS has also been hooked up to a power source to make good its repairs. The Doctor and susan follow a Slarvian to the bridge of the ship where they discover that they are witnessing an infestation of the Earth. A cargo of Slarvian eggs was lost in transit and ended up on Earth. Nearing the end of their gestation period they have to be slimed by the queen so that they can grow and take over the planet. It is August 16 1979 and Edward Grainger, still getting over his wife's death, has arranged to take his daughter for a visit to a small naval submarine. Just as their visit is finishing the submarine is called to investigate the giant spaceship which has crashed into the sea nearby. One of the crew of the submarine, Brandis, has been psychically possessed to obey the Slarvians. The queen's eggs are already aboard the submarine and he is taking them to dock with the sunken space ship. Susan has noticed the presence of Linda Grainger on the submarine and knows that the queen needs to feast on female flesh of the vanquished race to fertilise her eggs. She and the Doctor flee the Slarvian control room and get back to the TARDIS just in time to dematerialise, taking the vast space ship with them. They know the eggs will be spoiled within the next few days. Brandis wakes from his possession with no memory of events and the submarine returns to shore. Linda realises that her grandfather, who showed a sense of courage and unflappable authority throughout, despite being a civilian on the military vessel, is a man who she has taken for granted without knowing anything about.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Susan Foreman
 * Edward Grainger

Continuity
to be added