1x03: The Mind Marauder

It's a race against time for the Doctor and Rose when they try to help a nation that has been “gifted” with telepathy. Meanwhile, the Doctor considers his mortality for the first time.

Plot Summary

Rose and the Doctor are escaping from an alien planet Flibberin when the Doctor almost gets killed by a laser. His near death experience puts him on edge and reminds him pointedly of his mortality.

The Doctor gives Rose a lesson in flying the TARDIS, but the machine is acting wonky. Before they can investigate this further, Rose gets a call on her handy-dandy phone from Pete Tyler. Torchwood has been invaded!

They get to Torchwood and discover the intruder is a 22nd-century humanoid from Satellite 223 in the Ripple Ridge Galaxy named Lalena. She and her people have been given telepathy from a powerful alien named Boz, and it's slowly driving them all insane. The humanoid girl Lalena knows of the Doctor and what he and Rose are capable of, so she asks for their help. The only hitch: coming into contact with a telepathic person transmits the "infection" to Rose and the Doctor.

Meanwhile, it is discovered that Lalena came to Torchwood via a portable time machine. Rose and the Doctor have an argument over the ethics of time travel, and Rose takes the time hopper with her.

They arrive at the Satellite to find it mostly deserted, except for a few creepy-looking passengers. They find out Boz is milling near the top floors, and they split up to find him faster. Rose's telepathy grows stronger, and it comes to a peak when she bumps into the "Disciples of Boz," a bunch of lunatics who think their telepathy is a gift. They don't appreciate Rose's meddling and, knocking her unconscious, take her to Boz.

The Doctor runs into Lalena, who doesn't recognize him, and the Doctor realizes the TARDIS got the dates a little off. He's run into Lalena before she escaped to Torchwood. Lalena is surprised at how well the Doctor has mastered telepathy already, and the Doctor explains who he is.

Up on the top floor, Rose tries to talk to Boz, but his only intention is to destroy her. Fortunately, the Doctor and Lalena arrive. Angered that Lalena brought the "enemy" right to his doorstep, Boz mentally attacks her, filling her mind with every thought and memory in the room. Lalena can't handle all the info coming at her, so Rose decides to use the portable time machine on her and send her back to Torchwood.

Now Boz directs his assault on Rose. Rose sees all of the Doctor's tragic memories and realizes that the reason he's been so cross is because he's afraid of his mortality. The mind-reading becomes too much, and the Doctor has to knock her out to stop it. The Doctor tries to reason with Boz, but when the monster refuses, the Doctor gets angry and sets out to destroy Boz. Awake, Rose stops him before he can completely annihilate the enemy.

Boz has amnesia, so he has released his hold on everybody. The Satellite is restored. They take Boz to the planet of Flibberin, where his telepathic powers won't upset the locals. Rose and the Doctor go off on their next adventure with a better understanding of each other.

Geographic/Historical Location Details

Flibberin

A modernistic planet home to blue, furry, and often hostile aliens. The Flibberins are extremely stupid and violent.

Torchwood Present Day

Satellite 223 in the Ripple Ridge Galaxy

A 22nd-century satellite station that resembles a present-day cruise liner. Home to thousands of the humanoid species like Lalena.

Species Involved

Humans

Torchwood.

Other species

Humanoids
Inhabitants of Satellite 223.

Characters

Smithy and Franklin

Torchwood guards assigned to watch Lalena. They developed telepathy as a result.

Lalena

The humanoid girl who came to ask for the Doctor and Rose's help. She was originally Boz's first disciple until she realised the devastating effect the telepathy was having on her people.

Boz

A gelatinous blob of an alien with powerful telepathy. He "infects" the Satellite out of revenge for destroying his home planet.

Other Useful Canon

Rose

As of 1x03: Her flying skills are improving by leaps and bounds, but she still can't handle the TARDIS all on her own.

The Doctor

As of 1x03: The Doctor really begins to contemplate his mortality. He's not afraid of dying. He's afraid if he goes too soon, his life will mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The TARDIS

As of 1x03: When the Doctor and Rose enter coordinates for the Lost Moon of Poosh, The TARDIS lands on a completely different planet.

1x03: The TARDIS takes them to Lalena's recent past, as opposed to right after she materialised at Torchwood.

The Tylers

Pete is still running Torchwood. [1x03]

AU London

Harriet Jones has her face immortalised on a pence piece. Obviously, she's done something to warrant this. [1x03]

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