Daleks on the Move? (short story)

Daleks on the Move? was a Spectrum Shades short story printed in TV Century 21 that contained elements from the Doctor Who universe.

It constituted the closest the magazine ever came to resolving the series-ending cliffhanger of The Road to Conflict, in which the Golden Emperor announces an invasion of Earth. Though the Daleks' continued advance towards Earth was depicted in later stories such as Information Service, it was never explained if they reached their destination or what occurred if they did. The reference to the crashed Dalek ship here hints at their defeat, a suggestion which was confirmed when The Daleks was continued in Doctor Who Magazine with 1997's Return of the Elders.

Summary
Spectrum Shade Gregory Kaser heads to Venus to conduct a mission for the Planetary Exploration Organisation, of which he is a member. While taking aerial reconnaissance photographs over the continent of Magnax, he spots a crashed Dalek ship and a Dalek moving away from it. Kaser is at first puzzled as to why there is a Dalek presence on Venus but then remembers their threat from some months prior that they would find and conquer Earth. He works out the Dalek is heading for the Earth colony in the northern sector of Magnax before completing his assignment.

Upon his return to Earth, Kaser reports his findings to Spectrum, also asking if it signified the start of their invasion of Earth. Colonel White quickly replies, stating that the implications of the Daleks' visit to Venus are currently unknown. He also promises Kaser that Spectrum would investigate and that there was not yet any cause for anxiety.

Characters

 * Gregory Kaser
 * Colonel White
 * Dalek

Worldbuilding

 * Shade Kaser makes his report from Area Pink.
 * Kaser signs off his message with "S.I.G.".

Story notes

 * This story marked the first time that Spectrum, from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, involved itself in the impending Dalek invasion of Earth. It had previously been stated in the 1967 short story SPECTRUM is Green that the organisation would be taking over all duties of the Universal Secret Service on Earth, a move designed to coincide with the television debut of Captain Scarlet.

Continuity

 * Gregory Kaser recalls the Daleks' previous threats against humanity and other beings. (COMIC: Shadow of Humanity, The Emissaries of Jevo, PROSE: Tempest Awarded V.M.)
 * Kaser also knows that the Daleks have been seeking to locate Earth. (COMIC: Legacy of Yesteryear, The Road to Conflict)