The Arboreals (short story)

The Arboreals

Key crew

Writer:

Marc Platt

Release details

Part of:

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who

Release date:

4 June 2015

*The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who*
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Potential Energy	The Piper

The Arboreals was the eleventh short story in The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who. It featured the First Doctor and Susan.

Summary[]

The Doctor and Susan arrive on a jungle world, where they discover the remains of a crashed colony spaceship and a row of graves, all old except for one that has been freshly-dug. They meet a salvage operative named Bethan, who has locked herself inside her space-suit to protect herself against the clamour of the jungle while she waits for the return of her missing partner, Tino. Realising that the new grave belongs to Tino, the Doctor and Susan take the woman back to her own ship to rest; however, they soon find themselves succumbing to the effects of the jungle, losing their will to leave as they are watched by strange arboreal creatures in the trees. The Doctor, Susan and Bethan soon discover that Tino is still alive, having been regressed into a primitive state by the planet’s ecology, and is now living with the arboreal creatures, some of whom are the original colonists. Bethan elects to remain with Tino, while Susan leaves with her grandfather, knowing he will soon become bored with paradise...

Characters[]

First Doctor
Susan Foreman
Bethan Finch
Tino Driscoll

Worldbuilding[]

The TARDIS takes the form of a tree stump.

Notes[]

This short story accompanied a chapter about evolution.

Continuity[]

to be added

v • e BBC New Series Adventures anthologies

Summer Falls and Other Stories	About the Authors • Summer Falls: Introduction • Summer Falls • The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Mystery • Devil in the Smoke: An Adventure for the Great Detective

Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand	Tales of Trenzalore • Let it Snow • An Apple a Day... • Strangers in the Outland • The Dreaming

The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who	Sunset Over Venus • The Lost Generation • The Room with All the Doors • The Hungry Night • All the Empty Towers • Rewriting History • Silver Mosquitoes • In Search of Lost Time • Natural Regression • Potential Energy • The Arboreals • The Piper • The Girl Who Stole the Stars • The Mercy Seats • The Constant Doctor

Time Lord Fairy Tales	The Garden of Statues • Frozen Beauty • Cinderella and the Magic Box • The Twins in the Wood • The Three Little Sontarans • Jak and the Wormhole • Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday • Little Rose Riding Hood • The Gingerbread Trap • The Scruffy Piper • Helana and the Beast • Andiba and the Four Slitheen • The Grief Collector • The Three Brothers Gruff • Sirgwain and the Green Knight • The Emperor Dalek's New Clothes

The Legends of Ashildr	The Arabian Knightmare • The Fortunate Isles • The Triple Knife • The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood

The Legends of River Song	Picnic at Asgard • Suspicious Minds • A Gamble with Time • Death in New Venice • River of Time

Twelve Doctors of Christmas	All I Want for Christmas • A Comedy of Terrors • The Christmas Inversion • Three Wise Men • Sontar's Little Helpers • Fairy Tale of New New York • The Grotto • Ghost of Christmas Past • The Red Bicycle • Loose Wire • The Gift • The Persistence of Memory

Tales of Terror	Murder in the Dark • Something at the Door • The Monster in the Woods • Toil and Trouble • Mark of the Medusa • Trick or Treat • The Living Image • Organism 96 • The Patchwork Pierrot • Blood Will Out • The Mist of Sorrow • Baby Sleepy Face

The Missy Chronicles	Dismemberment • Lords and Masters • Teddy Sparkles Must Die! • The Liar, the Glitch and the War Zone • Girl Power! • Alit in Underland

The Day She Saved the Doctor	Sarah Jane and the Temple of Eyes • Rose and the Snow Window • Clara and the Maze of Cui Palta • Bill and the Three Jackets

Twelve Angels Weeping	Halfway Into the Dark • Grey Matter • Red Planet • Celestial Intervention — A Gallifreyan Noir • Ghost in the Machine • Student Bodies • A Soldier's Education • The Red-Eyed League • The Heist • The King in Glass • The Third Wise Man • The Rhino of Twenty-Three Strand Street • Anything You Can Do

The Wintertime Paradox	He's Behind You • Father of the Daleks • Inflicting Christmas • For the Girl Who Has Everything • Visiting Hours • We Will Feed You to the Trees • Christmas with the Plasmavores • A Girl Called Doubt • A Perfect Christmas • Missing Habitas Frond • A Day to Yourselves • The Paradox Moon • Canaries

I Am The Master	Anger Management • The Dead Travel Fast • Missy's Magical Mystery Mission • A Master of Disguise • The Night Harvest • The Master and Margarita

Adventures in Lockdown	A Message from the Doctor • Things She Thought While Falling • The Terror of the Umpty Ums • Doctor Who and the Time War • Revenge of the Nestene • Rory's Story • One Virtue, and a Thousand Crimes • The Simple Things • The Tourist • Press Play • The Shadow Passes • Shadow of a Doubt • The Shadow in the Mirror • Fellow Traveller • Listen • The Secret of Novice Hame

Origin Stories	Chemistry • My Daddy Fights Monsters • The Myriapod Mutiny • The Last of the Dals • Murmuration • The Big Sleep • Doctor Jones • The Girl Who Tore Through the Universe • Clara Oswald and the Enchanted Forest • Velvet Hugs • Tempered

Tardis