Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!decwrl!lepine@ctoavx.DEC From: lepine@ctoavx.DEC Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho Subject: Why is a TARDIS so big? Message-ID: <52@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 20-Aug-85 19:07:44 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.52 Posted: Tue Aug 20 19:07:44 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 23-Aug-85 08:38:56 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 38 Well, the most obvious, but not quite so interesting answer is "Why not?". Since the TARDIS interiors are in another dimension, which is presumably otherwise empty,there is no reason why they shouldn't be huge. To understand the second, more scientific, reason you must take into account the reason for which TARDISes were originally designed. Their purpose was to be used in scientific and technical study. To this end, hundreds of Time Lords could be transported through the entirity of time and space to study other cultures, etc. (Bear in mind that the Time Lords knew about the Reptile Men and the Doomsday weapon before either of the stories concerning them took place. Also consider the TARDIS wardrobe.) Such ventures would require adequate facilities to house many people as well as bathrooms, recreational areas, a zero room, and, of course, laboratories equipped with all the latest in the field of technology. Aside from this, TARDISes may have been used for other things. There was a period in Gallifrey's history before the Minyos incident when there was interference with other races. Indeed, during Rassilon's time and before, meddling was widespread (mainly involving the use of the time scoop and the Death Zone). TARDISes could have been used to house vast armies. In "THE WAR GAMES", SIDRATs (which preceeded TARDISes) were utilised in this manner. It has also been suggested that perhaps certain powerful Time Lords have their own private TARDISes, in which case, they would be free to do any interior designing that they wished. This could account for certain luxuries present in some TARDISes (eg.the presence of cloisters in the Doctor's TARDIS, although these seem to act as a sort of meditation centre for the Doctor rather than just a luxury commodity). Evidence seems to suggest that later models than the good Doctor's own (all type forties have long-since been recalled) are smaller. Now for a quick trivia question. See if any of you can pinpoint the story where the following quote hails from:- "Funny,isn't it?" "What?" "How we keep landing on your Earth!" --Simon Barker (an English "Whovian" in exile in Glastonbury,CT)