It's the colorful 1960s for the Doctor and Peri. Unfortunately, they've both landed on the reddest of all countries. (Not as red as the shades of red used for Sixth's coat, however.)
The Sixth Doctor and Peri land in the Soviet Union during one of the tensest moments in the space race: the Russians are orbiting a capsule around the Moon. After a period of radio silence on the far side of the Moon, the occupant of the capsule seems to have lost her memory.
What seems to be a medical crisis soon turns out to be something very different, as the Doctor must face down one of the most bizarre invasions of Earth that he's ever encountered.
This audio play contains examples of:
- America Saves the Day: Inverted. They nearly start World War III.
- Big Bad: Laika
- Call-Forward: The Doctor intends to one day find out if Lee Harvey Oswald really did assassinate President Kennedy. He would later be photographed there on the day.
- Disney Villain Death: Leonov and Laika struggle into an abyss.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: Done to Laika
. Who was expecting that? - Me's a Crowd: Discussed by The Doctor, when he points out that there are several versions of him running around on Earth at that exact moment (and are indirectly relying on him to avert World War III). The First through to Eighth Doctors are in Hampshire on an adventure together, while a second Seventh Doctor is blowing up Daleks with Ace, and a third Seventh Doctor is preventing another nuclear war, this time started by aliens.
- The Mole: Petrov.
- Secret Test of Character: In a sense, all of humanity passes such a test; witnessing the mass grief after Kennedy's assassination helps the intelligence responsible for augmenting Laika helps it see that humanity isn't as bad as it believed.
- Wham Line: A US General is forced to call the President to get permission to abort a nuclear missile accidentally launched at the Doctor's spacecraft. On the spacecraft, this exchange happens:The Doctor: ...In Dallas, Texas, it's half past twelve on November 22nd.Petrov: So what does that mean?The Doctor: It means that the President is never going to answer that call!
