Summary
A human spaceship crashlands on Skaro. The Daleks see this as an opportunity to learn more of the "androids" from another world.
Plot
The human spaceship Starmaker crash lands on Skaro. The Dalek Emperor orders that the "androids" (actually humans) not be destroyed, that they might learn more about them.
The Daleks destroy the humans' ship. Only three people survive. They steal a Dalek ship and fly it back to Earth to warn them of the impending Dalek invasion.
After the Daleks search the remains of the humans' ship, they find a scrap of burnt paper with the directions to Earth. The Dalek Emperor declares "We shall conquer Earth!"
Characters
References
Daleks
- Jennie wonders if the Emperor is made of real gold.
Hydroponic force houses.
Dalek technology
- The Dalek City's hydroponic force houses, weapon shops and communication rooms are seen.
- The Daleks use Dalek Tunnellers to tunnel under the humans' force field.
- Several new varieties of hoverbout are seen, only one of which is identified as such.
Spacecraft
- Humans are sending passenger spacecraft into deep space at this point.
- The humans' ship is called the Starmaker.
Technology
- The humans put up force fields in a square around their ship to stop the Daleks attacking them.
Planets
- The directions to Earth read: "Circle Andromeda then N by NS to landfall Earth".
Notes
- The description "next universe but one" comes from the stage play The Curse of the Daleks.
- Once again, "android" is used to refer to humanoid and humanoid species.
- Starmaker uniforms go from blue to red as the story progresses.
- This was the last of the TV 21 Dalek stories. Alan Fennell says that the series had run its course. Had it continued, TV 21's placement of all published stories in the Century 21 universe might have led to an actual crossover.
- The story's end, with the Daleks planning to conquer Earth, appears to lead into TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
- Decades later, the series was continued in Doctor Who Magazine by its last artist, Ron Turner and his agent, John Lawrence.
Continuity
- The Daleks finally find Earth, which they have been trying to locate since Legacy of Yesteryear.
- Earth can be reached from Skaro by circling Andromeda (the galaxy?), then travelling N by NS. It is located in the next universe (galaxy?) but one. Its location is in a blind spot, preventing the Daleks finding it earlier.
- When Lodian and Yvric observed Earth, it was nine galaxies away. (COMIC: Legacy of Yesteryear) In the 25th century, Skaro physically enters the Sol system (COMIC: Invasion of the Daleks) and it is implied that Skaro has been in the Sol system in the distant past (COMIC: City of the Daleks, numerous Dalek annual features) but this may only be Dalek propaganda.
