BOOK DETAILS

Pages	189
ISBN	0-426-20259-7
Publication Date	16 October 1986

SYNOPSIS

In the dark uncharted depths of the North Sea it has lurked, growing in strength, growing in size, and striking terror into the hearts of mariners down the untold centuries.

Landing near a North Sea gas refinery off the east coast of England, the TARDIS crew are immediately accused of sabotage. Several rig crews have mysteriously vanished, strange pressure build-ups have been detected, and in the refinery’ pipelines The Doctor can hear the steady, rhythmic beat of-what?

Soon The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria will find themselves at the unrelenting mercy of the deadliest and most terrifying foe they have ever encountered…

NOTES

CHAPTER TITLES

The Deadly Sound
Something in the Pipeline
A Pairof White Gloves
Mr Oak and Mr Quill
Waiting in the Dark
The Specimen
The Figure on the Beach
The Impeller Shaft
The Battle of the Giants
The Spy Whithin
The Nerve Centre
‘Scream, Victoria! Scream!’

DEVIATIONS FROM THE TELEVISED STORY

The novel includes an extra scene near the end for Jamie and Victoria. Jamie goes to Victoria’s room where he confesses his true feelings for her. Victoria admits her love for Jamie but she explains her tiredness for danger and death and wishes to remain with the Harris family. (An equivalent scene appears in the televised version but takes place the earlier evening and omits the detail of Jamie starting to say something and then changing his mind.)

Some scenes are omitted, such as Harris asking Robson for permission to check on Maggie and Robson’s last visit to the compound, and some lines of dialogue are reassigned.

More is made of Jamie and Victoria’s reaction to The Doctor being shot.

First names not present in the televised versions are included: Frank Harris, Mick Carney, Pieter van Lutyens, David Price and Ronald Perkins.

Robson’s name badge gives his initial as S, even though in both the novelisation and televised version he is referred to as John.

The Weed Creature’s gas gives Jamie sneezing fits.

Robson’s wife, Angie, is said to have died in a car crash when he was driving twenty-two years previous.

Oak and Quill are present when The Doctor tells the refinery staff about the weed and the Chief Engineer is present when The Doctor and Jamie climb down the impeller shaft.

Van Lutyens is referred to as speaking English without an accent and is described as a little dumpy balding man: On television he has a strong accent and is of average height and not particularly bald.

Jamie has to break into the room where the unconscious Victoria is left after Oak and Quill capture her.

The Doctor’s party see a controlled Maggie and Van Lutyens on the control rig, and the communication after the Weed’s destruction shows several other freed people including Van Lutyens and Baxter.

The sonic screwdriver does not appear.

The Doctor explains that the Weed Creature transported Maggie to the control rig by encasing her in its foam.