Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible is the fifth book in the New Adventures series and the first in the Cat's Cradle sub-trilogy. It features the Seventh Doctor and Ace and was written by Marc Platt.

Contents 1 Publisher's summary 2 Plot 3 Characters 4 References 4.1 Astronomical objects 4.2 Biology 4.3 Books 4.4 Cults 4.5 Gallifrey 4.6 Gallifreyan Chapter Houses 4.7 Gallifreyan culture 4.8 Gallifreyan history 4.9 Gallifreyan organisations 4.10 Individuals 4.11 Languages 4.12 Locations 4.13 Objects 4.14 Organisations 4.15 Species 4.16 Theories and concepts 4.17 Plants 4.18 TARDIS 4.19 Vehicles 5 Notes 6 Continuity 7 Timeline 8 Gallery 9 External links

Publisher's summary Edit

'You’re on your own, Ace.'

The TARDIS is invaded by an alien presence, and is then destroyed. The Doctor disappears.

Ace, lost and alone, finds herself in a bizarre deserted city ruled by the tyrannical, leech-like monster known as the Process.

Lost voyagers drawn forward from Ancient Gallifrey perform obsessive rituals in the ruins.

The strands of time are tangled in a cat’s cradle of dimensions.

Only the Doctor can challenge the rule of the Process and restore the stolen Future.

But the Doctor was destroyed long ago, before Time began.

Plot Edit

to be added

Characters Edit

• The Doctor
• Ace
• The Pythia
• Rassilon
• The Process
• The Guards

Characters of the Time Scaphe

• Shonnzi
• Vael
  • Agent of Pythia.
• Reogus
• Pekkary
• Chesperl
• Amnoni

Ancient Gallifrey

• Ao

• Dowtroyal
• Handstrong
• Logistomancer
• Loie
• Pelatov
• Prydonius
• Quartinian

• Soneuramos
• Sphinx of Thule
• Taspar
• Thrift
• Troppolsabler

References Edit

• The Sisterhood of Karn and Lady Peinforte are each leftovers of the Pythia's power.

Astronomical objects Edit

• Pazithi Gallifreya is Gallifrey's moon.
• There has been a century-long siege of the Winter Star.

Biology Edit

• Rassilon created the Looms to save Gallifrey from extinction cause by Pythia's curse of sterility upon Gallifrey.

Books Edit

• The Process is called Amphisbaena in the Book of Future Legends.
• Rassilon the God was written by Cardinal Borusa.
• Pelatov's Collected Sageries

Cults Edit

• The Pythia sends her sisterhood to Karn.

Gallifrey Edit

• The Doctor has never travelled into Gallifrey's past.

Gallifreyan Chapter Houses Edit

• The Doctor is one of forty-five cousins of the House of Lungbarrow.
• House of Blyledge
• House of Fordfarding

Gallifreyan culture Edit

• Sepulchasm is a board game on Gallifrey.
• Anmers-Tonastide was the Festival of the Timewright.
• Kithriarch eqauls 'father' on Gallifrey before Rassilon.
• Treazant was the currency on Gallifrey.
• Pianalaika is related to music or bands.
• White sand was imported from Mirphak 2 to Gallifrey for the Games of Rassilon because it showed up the blood better.
• The Academia was a place of learning on Gallifrey.

Gallifreyan history Edit

• The Pythia were the ruler of Gallifrey before Rassilon.
• Pythia came from before the Intuitive Revolution which heralded Rassilon's rise to power.
• The Pythia were psychics who could foresee Gallifrey's future. They were female.
• Ancient Gallifrey had an empire.

Gallifreyan organisations Edit

• The Court of Principals are an organisation on Gallifrey.
• The Council Police enforce the law.
• Neo-Technologists were aligned to Rassilon.

Individuals Edit

• Satthralope was house keeper in the Doctor's House on Gallifrey.

Languages Edit

• Ace can swear in eleven alien languages.

Locations Edit

• Logistomancer is from A32K
• Aubert Cluster demand independence from the Pythia.
• Soonwell Valley
• Star Grellades
• Thule had an empire.

Objects Edit

• Ace mentions the Hand of Omega.

Organisations Edit

• The Core Sybilline is the ruling government of the Nest-Worlds of Klanti.

Species Edit

• The Process is an annelid with lamprey-like mouths at each end (termed "mouthfeet"). It moves by using alternating mouthfeet to pivot its body, moving not unlike a Slinky.
• The Guards are described as bipedal red insects, with twenty-four "optic nodes" instead of eyes. The Process can speak through them.
• Menti Celesti are "capricious and all-powerful" and "who saw all things but did nothing".
• Tafelshrew is a rodent from Gallifrey.
• Gallifreyans battled the Gryffnae and hunted the lacustrine Sattisar.
• There is a plague of batworms on the asteroid archipelago.
• Pythia had a Grelladian guard.
• Jagdagians were performers in circuses.
• In a market Pen-Shoza traders displayed fresh consignments of workers from Oshakarm and the Star Grellades.

Theories and concepts Edit

• The Doctor mentions Blinovictual Theory, most likely a reference to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect.

Plants Edit

• Madevinia aridosa

TARDIS Edit

• Banshee Circuits are what the TARDIS uses to survive when everything else fails. It uses whatever resources are available: people, places, dreams etc.

Vehicles Edit

• The Hero's ship is called the Apollaten
• Time Scaphe is a time machine powered by thought.

Notes Edit

• This is the first novel in the Cat's Cradle trilogy.

Continuity Edit

• The Doctor says he's never been to Alaska, however BFA: The Land of the Dead is set there.
• No natural born child exists on Gallifrey since Pythia's curse...however; MA: Cold Fusion, PDA: The Infinity Doctors and Lungbarrow question this.
• Ancient Gallifrey is also seen and described in EDA: Interference - Book Two.
• The Sisterhood of Karn first appeared in DW: The Brain of Morbius.
• Lady Peinforte mentioned mysterious secrets about the Doctor in DW: Silver Nemesis.
• Ace doesn't like black cats, which were prominent in DW: Survival.
• This is the first time it is suggested that the TARDIS is to be piloted by six people. This was later referenced on screen in DW: Journey's End.
• Ace has, on previous explorations of the TARDIS, found the courtyard that was a central location in DW: Logopolis and the room of cricket supplies seen in DW: Castrovalva.
• The Doctor observes that the "State of Grace" circuit of the TARDIS needs looking at, likely referring to the notoriously inconsistent state of temporal grace.
• Ace finds Ian's Swiss Army knife.

Timeline Edit

• This story occurs after BE: Cathedral Heart
• This story occurs before ST: Log 384
  

Gallery Edit

Original cover

Hungarian edition

External links Edit

• Detailed synopsis of Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible at The Whoniverse
• Bewildering References guide to Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible

v • e Virgin New Adventures Ace Timewyrm: Genesys  • Timewyrm: Exodus  • Timewyrm: Apocalypse  • Timewyrm: Revelation  • Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible  • Cat's Cradle: Warhead  • Cat's Cradle: Witch Mark  • Nightshade Ace, Benny Love and War Benny Transit  • The Highest Science  • The Pit Benny, Ace Deceit  • Lucifer Rising  • White Darkness  • Shadowmind  • Birthright Seventh Doctor solo Iceberg Benny, Ace Blood Heat  • The Dimension Riders  • The Left-Handed Hummingbird  • Conundrum  • No Future  • Tragedy Day  • Legacy  • Theatre of War  • All-Consuming Fire  • Blood Harvest  • Strange England  • First Frontier  • St Anthony's Fire  • Falls the Shadow  • Parasite  • Warlock  • Set Piece Benny Infinite Requiem  • Sanctuary  • Human Nature Benny, Chris, Roz Original Sin  • Sky Pirates!  • Zamper  • Toy Soldiers  • Head Games  • The Also People  • Shakedown  • Just War  • Warchild  • Sleepy Benny, Chris Roz, Jason Death and Diplomacy  • Happy Endings Chris, Roz GodEngine  • Christmas on a Rational Planet Benny, Chris Roz, Jason Return of the Living Dad Chris, Roz The Death of Art  • Damaged Goods  • So Vile a Sin Chris Bad Therapy  • Eternity Weeps  • The Room With No Doors • Lungbarrow Eighth Doctor Benny, the Brig The Dying Days