Remain in Light (short story)

Revision as of 21:36, 15 December 2019

Remain in Light

Key crew

Writer:

Eddie Robson

Release details

Part of:

Short Trips: Snapshots

Short Trips short stories
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Plight of the Monkrah	In Case of Emergencies

Remain in Light was the tenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Snapshots. It was written by Eddie Robson. It featured the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller.

Summary

Anton Hellinger is house-sitting for the friend of a friend, Cameron Hayes. He gets a phone call from someone named the Doctor, who asks him to retrieve a bag from the beach outside. Anton does so, and the Doctor, over the phone, gives him instructions on how to revive the girl inside, who is the Doctor's friend Lucie.

Once revived, Lucie stays at the beach house with Anton until the Doctor can pick her up. Several days later, the Doctor shows up, and Lucie and Anton tell him about a dead body they found in the beach house that later disintegrated. The Doctor questions Anton about Cameron, whom Anton has never met. Anton and Lucie do some investigating among Anton's friends, and they learn that everyone likes Cameron and no one has anything bad to say about him.

Some of Anton's friends casually mention that Cameron kills people, sucking out their essence, and none of Anton's friends seem bothered by the fact. Later, the Doctor tells Anton and Lucie that he thinks Cameron is a Concepton. Conceptons are abstract beings, and the Doctor theorises that Cameron became corporeal when Anton's friend Gwen made him up as a boyfriend. Cameron's existence is dependent on Anton's friends believing in him.

The Doctor, Lucie and Anton devise a plan. Lucie approaches Justine, Anton's (sort of) girlfriend, pretending to be Cameron's ex-wife. She tells Justine about how awful Cameron treated her. Justine eventually spreads the word to Anton's other friends. This allows the Doctor to capture Cameron, who slowly melts away as Anton's friends begin to doubt him.

Characters

References

Lucie's favourite musical artists are Scissor Sisters, Pink, Sugababes, Gnarls Barkley, Lily Allen, Gorillaz, Goldfrapp, OutKast and the Killers.
Anton goes to see the new movie The Breakfast Club with the Doctor and Lucie.
Donna and Blake play Raiders of the Lost Ark on VHS.
A DJ plays "Echo Beach" by Martha and the Muffins.
Lucie sings along to "Crazy for You" by Madonna.
In the Troubadour, Anton dances to "Pump Me Up" by Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five.
The song "Boys of Summer" plays on the stereo.
Several musical artists are mentioned: R.E.M., Echo & the Bunnymen, the Rolling Stones, the Go-Gos, Duran Duran, the Human League, Talking Heads, the Psychedelic Furs, Prince & the Revolution, Tom Tom Club, the Specials, the Replacements, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, a Flock of Seagulls and the Bangles.
The Doctor, Lucie and Anton stop at the Hobart Arms hotel in Santa Monica.
Linus owns a Porsche 928.
Anton gets burgers from Big Kahuna Burger. Anton and Lucie eat at Casa Lucey's.
The Doctor name drops Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix and the Who.
Lucie pretends to be a fan of the television show Dallas.
Lucie is surprised to note that it's Christmas.

Notes

This story features the first appearance of Lucie Miller in print.

Continuity

The Doctor mentions that he once died in San Francisco. (TV: Doctor Who)

Short Trips short stories

BBC Books

Short Trips	Model Train Set • Old Flames • War Crimes • The Last Days • Stop the Pigeon • Freedom • Glass • Mondas Passing • There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden • Mother's Little Helper • The Parliament of Rats • Rights • Wish You Were Here • Ace of Hearts • The People's Temple

More Short Trips	Totem • Scientific Adviser • Missing, Part One: Business as Usual • Moon Graffiti • One Bad Apple • 64 Carlysle Street • The Eternity Contract • The Sow in Rut • Special Weapons • Honest Living • Dead Time • Romans Cutaway • Return of the Spiders • Hot Ice • uPVC • Good Companions • Missing, Part Two: Message in a Bottle • Femme Fatale

Short Trips and Side Steps	The Longest Story in the World • A Town Called Eternity • The Not-So-Sinister Sponge • Nothing at the End of the Lane • Countdown to TV Action • The Queen of Eros • The Android Maker of Calderon IV • Revenants • Please Shut the Gate • Turnabout is Fair Play • Do You Love Anyone Enough? • Dr Who and the House on Oldark Moor • Gone Too Soon • Reunion • Planet of the Bunnoids • Monsters • Better Watch Out, Better Take Care • Face Value • Storm in a Tikka • Playing with Toys • Vrs

Big Finish Productions

Zodiac	The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull • Growing Higher • Twin Piques • Still Lives • Constant Companion • Virgin Lands • The Switching • Jealous, Possessive • Five Card Draw • I Was a Monster!!! • The Invertebrates of Doom • The Stabber • Introduction and links

Companions	The Tip of the Mind • The Splintered Gate • The Man from DOCTO(R) • Apocrypha Bipedium • A Boy's Tale • Kept Safe and Sound • The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe • Hearts of Stone • Distance • Qualia • Curriculum Vitae • Notre Dame du Temps • The Little Drummer Boy • Hidden Talent • The Canvey Angels • Balloon Debate • A Long Night

A Universe of Terrors	The Exiles • Mire and Clay • Ash • Face-Painter • Losing Track of Time • The Discourse of Flies • The Fear • Mauritz • The Comet's Tail • Long Term • Soul Mate • Whiskey and Water • The Death of Me • This is My Life • Gazing Void

The Muses	Introduction • Teach Yourself Ballroom Dancing • The Brain of Socrates • Mordieu • An Overture Too Early • Hymn of the City • Confabula • The Astronomer's Apprentice • Katarina in the Underworld • The Glass Princess

Steel Skies	Corridors of Power • A Good Life • Reversal of Fortune • Monitor • Dust • Light at the End of the Tunnel • No Exit • House • Deep Stretch • Inmate 280 • Doing Time • The Ruins of Heaven • Cold War • O, Darkness • Greenaway • Eternity

Past Tense	The Immortals • Far from Home • All Done with Mirrors • CHAOS • Ante Bellum • The Thief of Sherwood • Come Friendly Bombs... • Graham Dilley Saves the World • Bide-a-Wee • Mortlake • White Man's Burden • Of the Mermaid and Jupiter • The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up • One Small Step... • To Kill a Nandi Bear • Fixing a Hole • That Time I Nearly Destroyed the World Whilst Looking for a Dress

Life Science	Syntax • Primitives • The Northern Heights • Observation • Mortal Thoughts • Lant Land • A Star is Reborn • The Southwell Park Mermaid • The Destroyers • The Reproductive Cycle • Jonah • Scribbles in Chalk • The End • The Age of Ambition • Echo • A Rose by Any Other Name

Repercussions	The Time Lord's Story • The Ghost's Story • The Rag & Bone Man's Story • The Seismologist's Story • The Dead Man's Story • The Inquisitor's Story • The Gangster's Story • The Bushranger's Story • The Schoolboy's Story • The Juror's Story • The Farmer's Story • The Republican's Story • The Assassin's Story • The Diplomat's Story • The Steward's Story • The Tramp's Story • Repercussions...

Monsters	Best Seller • From Eternity • Last Rites • The Touch of the Nurazh • Flashpoint • These Things Take Time • Categorical Imperative • Trapped! • Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life • Screamager • The Colour of Monsters

2040	The Nuclear Option • Separation • Thinking Warrior • Observer Effect • Artificial Intelligence • Daisy Chain • Sustainable Energy • Culture War • The Baron Wastes • /Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet • Outsourcing • Anteus • The Last Emperor • The Ethereal

A Christmas Treasury	Last Christmas • UNIT Christmas Parties: First Christmas • In the TARDIS: Christmas Day • Water's Edge • A Yuletide Tail • Spookasem • Christmas Special • Never Seen Cairo • The Man Who (Nearly) Killed Christmas • Last Minute Shopping • Every Day • The Eight Doctors of Christmas • The Little Things • UNIT Christmas Parties: Christmas Truce • The Clanging Chimes of Doom • Perfect Present • Present Tense • Goodwill Toward Men • It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow • All Our Christmases • Lily • ...Be Forgot • The Feast of Seven... Eight (and Nine) • UNIT Christmas Parties: Ships That Pass • Evergreen

Seven Deadly Sins	The Duke's Folly • That Which Went Away • Angel • Suitors, Inc. • The 57th • Telling Tales • Too Rich for My Blood • Seven Deadly Sins

A Day in the Life	After Midnight • Sold Out • Undercurrents • The Five O'Clock Shadow • The Sooner the Better • Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast • The Heroine, the Hero and the Megalomaniac • Waiting for Jeremy • A Life in the Day • Morphology • Making History • One Wednesday Afternoon • How You Get There • The Last Broadcast • The Terror of the Darkness • Visiting Hours • Before Midnight

The Solar System	Mercury • Venus • Earth • Mars • Jupiter • Saturn • Uranus • Neptune • Pluto • Sedna

The History of Christmas	The Lampblack Wars • Home Fires • The Feast • Rome • Set in Stone • The Thousand Years of Christmas • Presence • Danse Macabre • The Church of Saint Sebastian • The Prodigal Sun • Be Good for Goodness's Sake • Ode to Joy • Nobody's Gift • The Innocents • Comforts of Home • Christmas on the Moon • The Anchorite's Echo • The Revolutionaries • The Gift • Callahuanca • Not in My Back Yard • She Won't Be Home • Saint Nicholas's Bones • The Long Midwinter

Farewells	The Mother Road • Father Figure • The Bad Guy • Separation Day • The Very Last Picture Show • Into the Silent Land • Wake • The Velvet Dark • Life After Queth • Black and White • Curtain Call • Utopia • The Wickerwork Man • The Three Paths

The Centenarian	Prologue • Echoes • Direct Action • Dream Devils • Falling from Xi'an • Log 384 • The Church of Football • Incongruous Details • Ancient Whispers • First Born • Dear John • Checkpoint • Childhood Living • The Lost • Old Boys • Testament • Forgotten

Time Signature	An Overture Too Early • The Ruins of Time • Gone Fishing • The Avant Guardian • Second Contact • Resonance • Walkin' City Blues • The Hunting of the Slook • The Earwig Archipelago • DS Al Fine • Certificate of Destruction

Dalek Empire	Kalendorf • Natalie's Diary • Alby • Private Investigations • Suz • The Best Joke I Ever Told • Hide and Seek • The Eighth Wonder of the World • Mutually Assured Survival • Museum Peace

Destination Prague	Midnight in the Café of the Black Madonna • Room for Improvement • Life from Lifelessness • The Long Step Backward • Strange Attractor • Gold and Black Ooze • The Dogs of War • Sunday Afternoon, AD 848,988 • Nanomorphosis • Spoilsport • War in a Time of Peace • The End of Now • Suspension and Disbelief • Leap Second • Lady of the Snows • The Time Eater • Fable Fusion • Men of the Earth • Across Silent Seas • The Dragons of Prague • Omegamorphosis

Snapshots	Golem • Indian Summer • All of Beyond • The Eyes Have It • The Misadventure of Mark Thorne • Attachments • There's Something About Mary • My Hero • Plight of the Monkrah • Remain in Light • In Case of Emergencies • Puppeteer • Osskah • Piecemeal • The Report • You Had Me at Verify User Name and Password • She Knew • The Glarn Strategy • Salva Mea • The Sorrows of Vienna • Fanboys

The Ghosts of Christmas	Faithful Friends: Part One • But Once a Year • For the Man Who Has Everything • Tell Me You Love Me • The Cutty Wren • Do You Dream in Colour? • The Nobility of Faith • 24 Crawford Street • The Sommerton Fetch • Faithful Friends: Part Two • Dear Great Uncle Peter • Do You Believe in the Krampus? • They Fell • The Christmas Presence • Snowman in Manhattan • The Crackers • Jigsaw • Dr Cadabra • Far Away in a Manger • All Snug in Their Beds • Decorative Purposes • The Stars Our Contamination • Keeping It Real • Christmas Every Day? • Faithful Friends: Part Three

Defining Patterns	Machine Time • The Time and Tide • Losing the Audience • One Card for the Curious • Séance, or Smoking is Highly Addictive, Don't Start • The Celestial Harmony Engine • Mutiny • Numb • Closing the Account • The Great Escapes • Loose Change • Lepidoptery for Beginners • One Step Forward, Two Steps Back • Homework • The Devil Like a Bear • Stanley • Twilight's End • The Book of My Life • Defining Patterns

The Quality of Leadership	From Little Acorns • One Fateful Knight • The Slave War • Goths and Robbers • Good Queen, Bad Queen, I Queen, You Queen • The Price of Conviction • God Send Me Well to Keep • Peaceable Kingdom • Rock Star • On a Pedestal • Clean-up on Aisle Two • The Spindle of Necessity • Epilogue

Transmissions	Doctor Who and the Adaptation of Death • Policy to Invade • Only Connect • Gudok • Generation Gap • Lonely • Blue Road Dance • Tweaker • Link • Driftwood • Methuselah • Nettles • Larkspur • See No Evil • iNtRUsioNs • Breadcrumbs • Transmission Ends

How the Doctor Changed My Life	Homework • Change Management • Curiosity • Potential • Second Chances • Child's Play • Relativity • Outstanding Balance • The Last Thing You Ever See • The Shopping Trolleys of Doom • The Final Star • The Man on the Phone • The Monster in the Wardrobe • Suns and Mothers • Taking the Cure • Those Left Behind • Evitability • £436 • Time Shear • Running on Empty • Swamp of Horrors (1957) - Viewing Notes • Insider Dealing • The Andrew Invasion • Stolen Days • Lares Domestici

Christmas Around the World	Planet of the Elves • Exclave • A Visit from Saint Nicholas • Instead of You • Christmas Every Day • Mirth, or Walking Spirits • Do You Smell Carrots? • The Doctor's Cross Word • Dateline to Deadline • Autaia Pipipi Pia • No Room • Interesting Times • Revellers of Doom • Lost and Founded • The Best of Days • Conscription • Christmas in Toronto • Companion • Illumination • White on White

Indefinable Magic	Phoenix • The Power Supply • Favourite Star • Hiccup in Time • Shamans • The Fall of the Druids • Priceless Junk • Have You Tried Turning It Off and Then Back On Again? • The Reign Makers • Pass It On • The Science of Magic • Hello Goodbye • Trial by Fire • Death Sentences • Once upon a Time Machine • Mardi Gras Massacre • Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Re:Collections	I Was a Monster!!! • Apocrypha Bipedium • Face-Painter • The Glass Princess • The Ruins of Heaven • The Thief of Sherwood • The Age of Ambition • The Dead Man's Story • Flashpoint • Thinking Warrior • All Our Christmases • Suitors, Inc. • How You Get There • Venus • The Lampblack Wars • Life After Queth • Checkpoint • The Avant Guardian • Museum Peace • Midnight in the Café of the Black Madonna • The Glarn Strategy • Dear Great Uncle Peter • Losing the Audience • The Spindle of Necessity • Lonely • Lares Domestici • Lost and Founded • The Fall of the Druids

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{title dab away}}
 {{real world}}
+{{Infobox Story
-{{TitleShortStory}}
+|series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|Short Trips short stories]]
-{{Infobox Short Story|
+|doctor=Eighth Doctor
-name=Remain in Light|
+|companions=[[Lucie Miller|Lucie]]
-series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|ST short stories]]|
+|setting=[[California]], [[1980s]]
-doctor=[[Eighth Doctor]]|
-companions=[[Lucie Miller]]|
+|writer=[[Eddie Robson]]
+|anthology=''[[Short Trips: Snapshots]]''
-year=|
+|prev=Plight of the Monkrah (short story)
-writer=[[Eddie Robson]]|
+|next=In Case of Emergencies (short story)
-publication=''[[Short Trips: Snapshots]]''|
+}}
-prev=Plight of the Monkrah (short story)|
-next=In Case of Emergencies (short story)|
-|}}
 '''''Remain in Light''''' was the tenth short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Snapshots]]''. It was written by [[Eddie Robson]]. It featured the [[Eighth Doctor]] and [[Lucie Miller]].
 == Summary ==
+[[Anton Hellinger]] is house-sitting for the friend of a friend, [[Cameron Hayes]]. He gets a phone call from someone named the Doctor, who asks him to retrieve a bag from the beach outside. Anton does so, and the Doctor, over the phone, gives him instructions on how to revive the girl inside, who is the Doctor's friend Lucie.
-''to be added''
+Once revived, Lucie stays at the beach house with Anton until the Doctor can pick her up. Several days later, the Doctor shows up, and Lucie and Anton tell him about a dead body they found in the beach house that later disintegrated. The Doctor questions Anton about Cameron, whom Anton has never met. Anton and Lucie do some investigating among Anton's friends, and they learn that everyone likes Cameron and no one has anything bad to say about him.
+Some of Anton's friends casually mention that Cameron kills people, sucking out their essence, and none of Anton's friends seem bothered by the fact. Later, the Doctor tells Anton and Lucie that he thinks Cameron is a [[Concepton]]. Conceptons are abstract beings, and the Doctor theorises that Cameron became corporeal when Anton's friend [[Gwen (Remain in Light)|Gwen]] made him up as a boyfriend. Cameron's existence is dependent on Anton's friends believing in him.
+The Doctor, Lucie and Anton devise a plan. Lucie approaches [[Justine (Remain in Light)|Justine]], Anton's (sort of) girlfriend, pretending to be Cameron's ex-wife. She tells Justine about how awful Cameron treated her. Justine eventually spreads the word to Anton's other friends. This allows the Doctor to capture Cameron, who slowly melts away as Anton's friends begin to doubt him.
 == Characters ==
@@ Line 21: / Line 27: @@
 * [[Cameron Hayes]]
 * [[Anton Hellinger]]
+* [[Justine (Remain in Light)|Justine]]
-* Donna
+* [[Gwen (Remain in Light)|Gwen]]
-* Gwen
+* [[Jay (Remain in Light)|Jay]]
-* Blake
+* [[Cain (Remain in Light)|Cain]]
-* Justine
+* [[Donna (Remain in Light)|Donna]]
-* Linus
+* [[Blake (Remain in Light)|Blake]]
+* [[Neal (Remain in Light)|Neal]]
+* [[Tama (Remain in Light)|Tama]]
+* [[Linus (Remain in Light)|Linus]]
 == References ==
-* Lucie's favourite musical artists are [[Scissor Sisters]], [[Pink]], [[Sugababes]], [[Gnarls Barkley]], [[Lily Allen]], [[Gorillaz]], [[Goldfrapp]], [[OutKast]] and [[the Killers]].
+* Lucie's favourite musical artists are [[Scissor Sisters]], [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], [[Sugababes]], [[Gnarls Barkley]], [[Lily Allen]], [[Gorillaz]], [[Goldfrapp]], [[OutKast]] and [[the Killers]].
+* Anton goes to see the new movie ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'' with the Doctor and Lucie.
-* A DJ plays "[[Echo Beach]]" by [[Martha and the Muffins]].
-* Lucie wonders if a song playing on the radio is by [[REM]].
 * Donna and Blake play ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' on [[VHS cassette|VHS]].
+* A DJ plays "[[Echo Beach]]" by [[Martha and the Muffins]].
-* The Doctor, Lucie and Anton stop at the [[Hobart Arms]] hotel in [[Santa Monica]]. [[Echo and the Bunnymen]] play on the radio at the hotel.
+* Lucie sings along to "[[Crazy for You]]" by [[Madonna]].
-* Anton mentions [[the Rolling Stones]].
-* In the [[Troubadour]], Anton dances to "[[Pump Me Up]]" by [[Grandmaster Melle and the Furious Five]].
+* In the [[Troubadour]], Anton dances to "[[Pump Me Up]]" by [[Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five]].
-* Lucie sings along to "[[Crazy For You]]" by [[Madonna]].
+* The song "[[Boys of Summer]]" plays on the stereo.
+* Several musical artists are mentioned: [[R.E.M.]], [[Echo & the Bunnymen]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[the Go-Gos]], [[Duran Duran]], [[the Human League]], [[Talking Heads]], [[the Psychedelic Furs]], [[Prince & the Revolution]], [[Tom Tom Club]], [[the Specials]], [[the Replacements]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]], [[a Flock of Seagulls]] and [[the Bangles]].
-* Cameron owns a [[Porsche 928]].
+* The Doctor, Lucie and Anton stop at the [[Hobart Arms]] hotel in [[Santa Monica]].
-* [[Concepton]]s are creatures of the abstract that are given physical form by the fantasies of people.
+* Linus owns a [[Porsche 928]].
+* Anton gets [[burger]]s from [[Big Kahuna Burger]]. Anton and Lucie eat at [[Casa Lucey's]].
+* The Doctor name drops [[Keith Richards]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[the Who]].
+* Lucie pretends to be a fan of the television show ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''.
+* Lucie is surprised to note that it's [[Christmas]].
 == Notes ==
+* This story features the first appearance of [[Lucie Miller]] in print.
-''to be added''
 == Continuity ==
-* The Doctor mentions how he once died in [[San Francisco]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)|Doctor Who]]'')
+* The Doctor mentions that he once died in [[San Francisco]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]'')
+{{ST prose}}
-== Timeline ==
-* ''Remain in Light'' occurs after [[BFA]]/[[BBCR]]: ''[[Human Resources]]''.
-* ''Remain in Light'' occurs before [[ST]]: ''[[Decorative Purposes]]''.
-{{prose stub}}
 {{TitleSort}}
 [[Category:Eighth Doctor short stories]]
 [[Category:Stories set at Christmas]]
-[[Category:Stories set in the United States]]
+[[Category:Stories set in the 1980s]]
-[[Category:Stories released in 2007]]
+[[Category:Stories set in California]]
-[[Category:ST short stories]]
+[[Category:Short Trips: Snapshots short stories]]

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Changes: Remain in Light (short story)