A History of the Whoniverse

After the Federation

4992

An Astronaut named Meeker qualifies for space exploration duty.

This was 8 years before The Invisible Enemy.

5000

THE INVISIBLE ENEMY

This was the year of the Great Breakout, when humanity [again] went leapfrogging across the Galaxy like a tidal wave. The Space Exploration Programme led the way - charting [long forgotten and never explored areas of] the Galaxy. A huge oxygen refinery was set up on Titan [to equip both spacecraft and terraformers]. Asteroid K4067 housed the Bi-Al Foundation, which treated alien diseases and tended those injured in space.

At this time, the Bi-Al foundation destroyed a virus that threatened to conquer the galaxy.

The Doctor says that it is the year 5,000 - year of the Great Breakout, although it looks more like the 21st or 22nd Century.

Around the year 5000, Earth is affected by a new Ice Age. [This triggers off] political fragmentation. Earth becomes partitioned between several different alliances. World War VI is narrowly averted after the Peking Homunculus (an artificial being with a pig's brain) assassinates the head of the Icelandic Alliance. The power structure rapidly changes and [the new] Supreme Alliance comes to power. It is, however, defeated by the Filipino Army at the battle of Reykjavik. Its Minister of Justice, Magnus Greel, takes the Peking Homunculus and uses his self-invented time machine to flee to the 19th Century [obviously trying to escape prosecution for the regime's war crimes]. Greel's war crimes had included experiments on 100,000 prisoners in his efforts to discover time travel.

This is the background to The Talons of Weng Chiang.

At this time, photon beam weapons and visiphones were popular technologies, whilst many people spoke Finglish, a phonetic form of English. Findecker's discovery of the double-nexus particle had sent humanity into a technological cul-de-sac, though they developed psychic techniques - including ability to read and influence the minds of the weaker minded.

This is a summary of the technology in The Invisible Enemy and The Talons of Weng Chiang.

5053

The colony of Olleril is founded

This is 597 years before Tragedy Day.

5075

A colony ship, the Mordee, crashes on an unnamed planet. The computer, Xoanon, is damaged, but repaired by the arrival of a stranger called the Doctor. He repaired Xoanon using Sidelian Memory Transfer - reprogramming it with his own brainwaves. Unfortunately, he forgot to remove his memory print and Xoanon developed schizophrenia.

This happened long before The Face of Evil, long enough for the crew's descendants to be genetically manipulated by Xoanon and for them to forget all the details of what actually happened.

The 51st Century

The Weapons Factories of Villenguard manufacture sonic blasters. They are destroyed when the main reactor goes critical. The site of the factory becomes a banana grove. By this time, humans have spread out through "half the galaxy".

This is Captain Jack's native time, as established in The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances. Jack's blaster in the latter episode is from those factories.

c. 51st Century

THE GIRL IN THE FIREPLACE

A thirty seven year old spacecraft breaks down. The service robots cut up the crew to use them as spare parts, but do not have the parts to replace the main computer. They come to believe that the brain of Madame de Pompadour is the main replacement, and use the warp drives to create time windows to the past, trying to locate her at just the right age. However, the robots are stranded in the past and shut down.

A caption says that this is 3,000 years later (than 1759), but the Doctor says that it's 3,000 years after Rose and Mickey's time, and that it's the 51st Century.

5438

Deep space fleet Starship Engineer Tyssan is captured by the Daleks, and put to work on Skaro as part of a large slave labour force.

This is 2 years before Destiny of the Daleks.

5440

DESTINY OF THE DALEKS

The Daleks, having recovered Davros from the ancient bunker on Skaro, change his memories and place him on (one of the worlds called) Antalin, which they have turned into a replica of an abandoned Skaro. The Daleks use a race of robots called the Movellans, which they created, to con the newly revived Davros that they need his expertise to defeat this new foe. The intervention of the Ka Faraq Gatri leads to Davros being captured by human slaves and taken to Earth.

This is the version of events suggested in War of the Daleks. Dating the story is difficult. It must be millennia after Genesis of the Daleks. War of the Daleks suggests that the sequence of events between this story and War happened fairly soon after the Daleks discovered time travel (or after The Dalek Invasion of Earth). On the other hand, Revelation of the Daleks forces the date to be much later. The humans have a Deep Space Fleet.

5530

RESSURECTION OF THE DALEKS

Davros was placed on trial by the humans and served a sentence of 90 years. At the end of that period, the Daleks pretended to lose the (non-existent) war against the Movellans and broke Davros out of prison. The Daleks set the task of releasing Davros provide him with time travel technology and apparently plan to attack 20th Century Earth and Gallifrey. Their plan fails, partly due to the Ka Faraq Gatri.

This story takes place 90 years after Destiny of the Daleks. This is the version of events suggested in War of the Daleks.

5630

REVELATION OF THE DALEKS

Davros escaped to the Tranquil Repose mortuary, which produced food for the galaxy by (secretly) breaking down the corpses of the deceased. Hiding under the cover of a firm run by a woman named Kara, Davros gained a new identity as "the Great Healer". He planned to use the most aggressive of the corpses to create a new race of Daleks loyal to himself. Davros, and the nature of the food produced, were revealed when an excommunicated member of the Grand Order of Oberon was hired to assassinate him. Davros escaped execution when Dalek Prime's Daleks were summoned, and they took him prisoner, whilst Tranquil Repose discovered a new foodstuff in the plants that grow on the planet.

This story takes place an unspecified time after Resurrection of the Daleks. There has been enough time for "the Great Healer" to be known across the Galaxy. The Galaxy is ruled by a human President. It also faces a major famine. In Lucifer Rising, we discover that the Adjudicators will eventually become the Grand Order of Oberon, which means that this story must be set (at the earliest) a considerable time after the rise of the Federation.

5650

Tragedy DAY

The human colony of Olleril had fashioned itself on a handful of twentieth century books - The Collins Guide to the Twentieth Century, One of Us by Hugo Young, The Manufacture of Consent, and The Smash Hits Yearbook. Its political and economic system was very similar to that of late 20th Century Britain. The colony was secretly ruled by the boy genius Crispin. He planned to convert the entire colony into a carbon copy of an old sitcom. His plan was defeated by the intervention of the Doctor.

There is no indication when this story is set. Mention of Pantorus both here and in Zamper may, or may not, suggest that they are set at the same time. The colony was founded 597 years ago. I suggest that the colony was founded several decades after the Great Breakout began.

5665

The Chelonians attack the human colony on Vaagon. They mysteriously disappear, which the colonists attribute to divine intervention. Several generations later, the Chelonians invade again. This time, their invasion is successful, partly because the humans believed they would again be supernaturally saved.

This occurs on pages 2-10 of The Highest Science, and is dated on page 2.

5730

REMEMBRANCE OF THE DALEKS

Davros conveniently escapes from the Daleks, and builds a new force of Daleks. [These are unlikely to include any of those from Tranquil Repose - which would have been killed by the humans.] Davros finally decides to go after the Hand of Omega using a time corridor. His actions lead to the destruction of his main forces on what he believes to be Skaro.

This story takes place some time after Revelation of the Daleks, as it would take him a considerable time to amass his Dalek army - especially since he appears to be starting from scratch.

5734

Ayaka is born.

She is 26 in War of the Daleks.

5738

Cathbad is born.

He is 22 in War of the Daleks.

5760

WAR OF THE DALEKS

The Daleks had discovered that Davros survived the supernova that destroyed what he believed to be Skaro's solar system. They had placed a beacon onboard his escape pod so that they would know when somebody attempted to retrieve him. When this activates, they bring him to what they believe to be the real Skaro, where the Dalek Prime conducts a trial of the Dalek race. This leads to a Dalek civil war, which ends with the [apparent] execution of Davros. Soon afterwards, a Thal called Ayaka stands trial for killing her superior officer - who had threatened to execute innocent civilians - including the famous Doctor.

This is thirty years after Remembrance of the Daleks (pages 78, 172) and millennia after The Daleks (page 73). The interludes feature Daleks fighting an SSS agent who knew Marc [Cory] (The Daleks' Masterplan); the Draconians, at some point not long after they accept females onto their ships (so early in the days of the Federation); and Mechanoids on the planet Hesperus. None of these appear to be in a time period compatible with what else we know about the stories featuring Davros, we must assume that they are not contemporary with the story. I have dated this story here because The Crystal Bucephalus refers to Time Lord intervention in a Dalek Civil War five thousand years before 10764. This is probably intended to refer to Evil of the Daleks, but could equally well refer to either this story, or the entirety of the period in which Davros was active. There is a small possibility that the Spider Dalek who executes Davros is on his side, and may have transmatted him away rather than dispersing his particles.

Date Unknown

The Chen Dynasty seizes control of the Federation and turns it into a monarchical system.

The date of this is unknown, but it happens a long time before The Crystal Bucephalus. I set it soon after War of the Daleks because there is still a President in Revelation of the Daleks.

Date unknown

The Earth colony Vaagon is rescued from the Chelonians when a Fortean Flicker transports the Chelonians to another planet in the 26th Century. Several generations later, the Chelonians return and conquer the planet.

The Highest Science.

c. 5970

There is a Cyberwar. Cole's grandmother fights in it.

Cole mentions this in Heritage (page 17). Given Cole's age, it seems likely that it is around the 5970s.

5910

On Chelonia, Little Sister overthrows Big Mother, turning the Chelonians from an aggressive warrior race into the Galaxy's foremost flower arrangers.

According to Zamper. In The Well Mannered War, the Doctor claims that the Chelonian expansionist period ended millennia before the 58th segment of time (chapter 2, page 12).

5950

ZAMPER

The Zamps, builders of the Galaxy's foremost warships, planned to invade the galaxy. Their plan was defeated when a Chelonian fleet loyal to Big Mother self-destructed, sealing the gate between Zamper and the rest of the Universe.

This happens in the 60th Century (page 77), and Earth is inhabited.

c. 6043

Cole is born.

He is not yet pushing 40 on page 68 of Heritage, so I'm guessing he's about 35.

6028

Colonists arrive on Heritage.

This is 20 years before Heritage (6048) on page 7, 2 decades before page 8.

6038

Someone at Galactic Centre works out a way of synthesising Thydonium. This almost instantly puts Thydonium Mining colonies such as Heritage out of business.

According to Cole, this was about ten years before Heritage page 18 (6048).

? 6040

Ben and Mel Heyworth come to Wakefield asking him to help them have a child, because Mel is past the menopause (considered a rare genetic condition by this era). Wakefield produces a clone of Mel rather than a normal child of both parents.

This is mentioned on pages 240-241 of Heritage. No date is given. I'm no good at guessing ages of kids, but I'd guess the picture of Sweetness on the cover looks about 7.

6045

On Heritage, Wakefield successfully clones a raven, calling her Arabella.

Three years before Heritage page 56.

? 6046

The Wakefields discover that Sweetness is a clone. Wakefield kills Mel by pushing her with a genetic sequencer. He convinces the inhabitants of Heritage to protect him from a murder charge. Ben Heyworth continues living away from the rest of the colony with his daughter Sweetness. However, he asked Cole to help him make an off-planet call without going through Wakeling, and is found out. Wakeling then persuades the town that their only possible future is if Wakeling continues his research rather than being sent to prison for murder. The townsfolk agree, and rip Ben to pieces with their bare hands before torching his home. Wakeling takes Sweetness into his home.

According to Heritage pages 206-215 and 240-241. It's uncertain when this was. However, on pages 101-102, Arabella is jealous of Sweetness' entry into Wakeling's house - so this must be after the raven was cloned.

6046

Billy starts building a railway from Heritage to Sale.

He claims to have started two years before Heritage page 62. In those two years, he's only managed to build a few metres.

6th August 6048

HERITAGE

A shuttlecraft arrives on Heritage, the first for years. The two visitors want to see the Heyworths, causing quite a stir in the town. Their actions cause the buried memories of the Heyworths' deaths to resurface. One of visitors, called the Doctor, gatecrashes an interstellar video conference where Wakeling was planning to reveal his success at cloning, and reveals that Wakeling is a murderer - destroying Wakeling's chances of success. Wakeling and two other inhabitants subsequently fall to their deaths when some of the old mineshafts collapse under them.

Each chapter in the book has a date and time. The story starts at 9.20 AM, and ends at 6.34 PM. Chapters 27 and 28 are epilogue and happen on the 10th of August.

6057

The last colonist leaves Heritage. None of the ex-colonists ever discusses the reasons why they left the planet.

According to a quote from a textbook in Heritage (page 227).

8th December 6064

Lee Marks, head of the Ellershaw Foundation (the largest charitable organisation in its system) dies in a fire at his off-planet home. His staff release documents suggesting that the fire was started deliberately. At least three of the directors apply to replace him.

According to Heritage page 279.

?6070

Sweetness Cole writes her autobiography, First of a New Breed. It includes a passage about how she chose to leave behind two of her three 'fathers'.

This passage is quoted on page 171 of Heritage. No date is given, but this is clearly some time after the book ends.

6198

On the planet Terusrus, the Federation Scientific Executive authorised research into genetic experimentation.

The Crystal Bucephalus page 83.

6211

A virus erases all records of the research on Tersurus from the Federation Datacore. Three weeks later, a Sontaran attack stops the research altogether.

The Crystal Bucephalus.

THE CRYSTAL BUCEPHALUS

About this time, the Doctor spent five years establishing the Tempus Fugit restaurant. At the same time, Lazarus, founder of the Lazarus Intent religion, is executed by the Sontarans on their homeworld.

The date of the Doctor's time is given on page 184. The date of Lazarus' death is on page 27.

c. 7000

THE FACE OF EVIL

By this time, Xoanon had produced two groups from his ship's crew. The Tesh, ascetic telepaths descended from the ship's technicians were fanatically devoted to meeting his every need. The Sevateem, descended from Survey Team 6, were savages who had reached the peak of physical perfection. The two groups are finally reunited when the Doctor arrives and removes his personality print from Xoanon.

The date for this is uncertain. It must be set after The Invisible Enemy, as Leela is descended from the people there. In The Sun Makers, the Usurian computer deduces that Sevateem is a corruption of Survey Team, and correctly guesses Leela's origins. This may mean that this colony, or similar colonies, is known to the people of that era. I suggest that Xoanon left Earth during the later stages of The Great Break Out; and that this story happens a couple of thousand years later.

7023

Jacqui Fortnum publishes a book called Lost Worlds, an account of the realities of colonisation. One of the colonies mentioned in the book is Heritage.

We see a quote in Heritage (page 227).

c. 7910

At this time, all medicine on Sarath was done by humans. Over the next century, machines would gradually replace humans in every area of medicine, except in very rare emergencies.

According to City at World's End page 39.

c. 8000

An asteroid hits Sarath's moon, causing it to begin a slow descent towards the planet. From this point, there were numerous meteorite storms across the planet. These were caused by small chunks of moon rock that had been dislodged by the impact.

This is said to be ten years ago on page 30 of City at World's End.

c.8005-8009

The Tarklarians attack Arkhaven, trying to ensure places on the Ship. The war reduces the population of Arkhaven from 5,102,000 to under 80,000.

The war lasted for 4 years according to City at World's End page 93. It finished a year ago according to page 140.

c. 8010

CITY AT WORLD'S END

On Sarath, the moon was about to hit the planet. The people of the city of Arkhaven were preparing to leave on board the Ship, a massive rocket. The Ship was, however, unable to work. A few people (fewer than 650) escaped on board the Ship's Lander Module. They arrived on the neighbouring planet of Mirath and set up New Arkhaven City.

The Doctor estimates they are a few thousand years beyond the 20^th Century on page 1. He guesses that Sarath was colonised thousands of years earlier. The exact date is, therefore, arbitrary. I suggest that this was one of the planets colonised in the Great Breakout.

85th Century

The infamous Cybernetic Massacres lead to androids being stripped of their independence.

The Crystal Bucephalus.

c. 8911

Sutekh perishes at the end of a Time Corridor.

According to the Doctor in Pyramids of Mars.

9381

The Antonine launch a rescue raid on Scultis, but are defeated when their Jablectas are disrupted by the Sculti's bio-energy fields.

The Crystal Bucephalus.

March 9978

Earth Reptiles Ethra and Teelis publish a paper on temporal embolisms and paradox wavefronts in Abstract Meanderings in Theoretical Physics.

The Crystal Bucephalus.

9764

A rebellion splits the Federation into the democratic Confederation and the Humanic Empire, ruled by the Chens. The decisive battle of the war took place in the Mirabilis system, but devastated the planet itself. Chen was captured and executed.

A thousand years before The Crystal Bucephalus.

In the aftermath of the Federation Civil War, the galaxy disintegrated. Some of the races making up the Federation formed the Union - a united political entity, which coexisted with the Draconian Republic, the Cyberlord Hegemony, the radioactive remains of the Sontaran Empire, and possibly several more. In addition to this, the Elective (an organised crime syndicate) had a vast amount of power, and the Lazarus Intent was active and powerful - having eight Quadrillion adherents.

This is the background to The Crystal Bucephalus.

10,663

Alexhendri Lassiter rescues Lazarus from the Sontaran Homeworld, but soon realises that Lazarus was actually a vicious criminal. Using his real name, Arrestis, Lazarus soon took control of the Elective.

This was 11 years before The Crystal Bucephalus.

10,674

THE CRYSTAL BUCEPHALUS

There are a series of crises on the Crystal Bucephalus. They are traced to a duplicate machine owned by the Elective. To solve these crises, the Bucephalus is permanently shut down, and Arrestis is revealed as Lazarus. [These events are hushed up, at the insistence of the Lazarus Intent.]

There are a variety of different dates given. The Doctor claims that it is 6 or 7 centuries into the 10th Millennium - 9600-9700 (page 27), and nearly 5,000 years since the 63rd Century - so some time before 11,201 (page 27). He also says that it's the 108th Century - 10701-10800 (page 40). 10663 is in the recent past - almost certainly between Lazarus's rescue and the present day (page 69). It's 8000 years (page 80 since the 44th Century (page 42) - so 12300-12400. It's also about 5000 years since 6198 - so about 11198. The 28th Century (page 40) was eight millennia ago (page 105) - so 10701-10800. The Author has said that he assumed a date of 10674. I'm going with the only precise date from the book.

History after this date is confused. The Doctor claimed that the Union was due to fall within a hundred years, and would be replaced by the Junta - a military dictatorship originating with the Elective. This would, in turn, be replaced after 1000 years with the Confederation (which 'wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs'). He then claims that recent events meant that, within 20 years, the dominant force in the galaxy would be the Concordance, ruled by President Tornqvist, and based on Clavidence. The Doctor later admitted to his companions that he made this up.

The Crystal Bucephalus page 289.