Platform One was an Alpha Class space station, designed to be an observation deck for various events.
Operation and use[]
The space station was controlled by a computer, Control, which in turn was controlled by "the corporation". It was moved between different artistic events.
Platform One was capable of berthing several shuttles. It used sun filters to shield it from the heat of the sun and a force field to protect it from external forces. The shafts carried hot water, could be blocked and — depending on the area of the blockage — a suite could be left without hot water.
It had a suite called the Manchester Suite, guest suites, maintenance ducts, a maximum hospitality zone, and a Steward's office. Guests aboard Platform One stayed in private suites, protected by code walls.
The Ninth Doctor observed that the station had a "great bit" of air conditioning, which for the time was "sort of nice and old fashioned", betting they called it "retro". (TV: The End of the World)
Law[]
The use of teleportation was forbidden on the platform under the Peace Treaty 5.4/cup/16. Weapons and religion were also forbidden on the platform. (TV: The End of the World)
Staff[]
It was staffed by the Steward and a large maintenance staff. The staff included plumbers to look after the air ducts, including Raffalo. (TV: The End of the World)
History[]
In the year 5,000,000,000, when the gravity satellites could no longer be funded to hold back the expansion of the sun towards the Earth, an event was held, sponsored by the Face of Boe, for the richest people to observe the destruction of the Earth.
During the event, Lady Cassandra gifted metal spiders, through the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. to infiltrate Platform One and profit from the compensation she would recieve from a faked hostage crisis. The Ninth Doctor and Jabe thwarted this plan, causing Cassandra to resort to her back-up plan: teleporting away and instructing her spiders to deactivate the protective shielding on Platform One, profiting from the shares of the doomed guests' rivals. The Doctor and Jabe rebooted the shields at the cost of Jabe's life, and Cassandra's teleport was reversed. With her surgeons not being present to keep her moisturised, Cassandra's skin graft broke apart. (TV: The End of the World) Her brain survived, however. (TV: New Earth)
As the satellite was breaking apart, all of the guests were too busy saving themselves for anyone to witness the Earth's destruction. A good portion of the guests were burned alive by the sun rays in the chaos. (TV: The End of the World)
Behind the scenes[]
- Although The End of the World remains Platform One's only appearance in a story considered valid by this Wiki, the narrative game Lost Luggage featured the Doctor during another trip to Platform One, where he came face to face with the "newly-minted" Chief Steward of the Platform.