The Infinite Astronaut ( comic story ) Publisher ' s summary . Interstellar dogfights still rage in the skies over London ! When Alice is forced into a high - stakes solo challenge that could end the conflict , she ' ll need to muster everything she ' s learned on her travels with the Doctor in order to succeed – and even that might not be enough ! Has the Doctor made a grave mistake – or is it all part of a larger plan ? Plot . Alice Obiefune had a perfect picture of what would happen after the Eleventh Doctor saw her mother return . He would smile and give an explanation , more than half of which Alice would not understand . He would be happy for her . ARC and John Jones would miraculously get fine . And the Doctor would invite her mother to travel with them , though forgetting what exactly her name was . Suddenly Alice remembers her mother ' s last days , when she said , " Something is wrong . " But the Doctor does none of the things Alice expected . He just stands there looking at the woman Alice brought . ARC and Jones continue lying on the floor in pain . The Doctor tries to tell Alice that this can ' t be her mother , not really . Ada seems taken aback . And Alice gets angry . She has seen so many impossible things . Why can ' t her mother coming alive again be one of them ? Ada agrees . Jones blabbers something , still in delirium , causing Ada to ask , " What ' s wrong with the boy ? " Then she notices ARC , who is now curled into a ball . The Doctor , however , decides to deal with her first . He scans her with the sonic screwdriver and tells Alice that her " mother " doesn ' t have cells , that she ' s just a big " glob of stuff " , similar to ARC . Now Ada appeals to the infinite possibilities the universe can offer . Why can ' t her soul find a new home in such a strange body ? The Doctor changes tactics and asks how Alice and Ada got to the " Great Wheel " . Ada explains that the mobile phone the Doctor gave Alice was connected to his blue box and she was somehow able to use this connection to teleport herself and Alice . This makes the Doctor even more suspicious . But Alice interrupts the scene that is becoming more and more awkward saying that they should do something about the endless space war . The Doctor agrees , gives her his jet pack and sends her to search the Amstron sacred library they are standing in . Alice needs to find the original reason for the war and possible ways to stop it . He also gives Alice his sonic screwdriver in case some books ask for a password . After Alice flies away , the Doctor turns to Jones and ARC . The balled - up ARC just says , " Hurts . Fear . " The Doctor understands that it was fear that made ARC violent earlier . He also figures out that Jones , being a human chameleon , is mirroring ARC ' s fear and pain . In turn , ARC is feeling Jones ' sickness , creating a feedback loop . Ada interrupts his thinking out loud by pointing out another group of Amstron guard s entering the library . As the guards before them , they prepare to terminate the " J ' arrodic spies " on the spot . This time Alice saves the day descending with a book in her hands and reciting from it , " Earth claims the right to seek and to see , to send the Infinite Astronaut through the Gate of Creation . " This has an immediate effect . The guards order a Amstron ensign to prepare luxury quarters for the guests from Earth . A ceasefire is announced , and tomorrow the Infinite Astronaut is to fly . In the quarters prepared for them , the Doctor enquires who the Infinite Astronaut is . The ensign is surprised at their lack of knowledge , but explains nevertheless . Once upon a time the two empires , Amstron s and the J ' arrodic Federation built a wormhole that served as a doorway to another universe and called this wormhole the Gate of Creation . They sent an Amstron and J ' arrodic astronauts in a two - man starship " Infinite " to scout the unknown . Drones could not be used for that purpose , so the " Infinite " astronauts were to go in , broadcast a message about what they saw and get out . After the ship went in , the Star Control coordinator requested a report . The message back was , " It ' s the face of the creator . " That was the last anyone had seen or heard from the mission . More astronauts were sent by the allied empires , but none of them returned . And people started theorising about the meaning of the message . A J ' arrodic radio talk show host posited that the face of the creator had a beak . Amstrons strongly disagreed , believing the creator to be " of the Wheel " . Since those times , the two empires have been carrying the Gate of Creation with them on a neutral craft . Any pilot who dares to become the Infinite Astronaut triggers a ceasefire and is sent through the wormhole . If they return , they might finally answer the question that started the war . But no one has ever returned . The Doctor is relieved . He is planning to take the TARDIS , check this other universe out and return in no time . But that turns out to be against the rules . It was Alice who posed the challenge , and so the Infinite Astronauts must be of the challenging species . The trip must be made in the " Infinite " or its exact reproduction . In addition , it turns out that , if Alice does not return , Earth will be destroyed . The ensign assigns Jones to be the second pilot , despite his state not improving at all . A reproduction of the " Infinite " with controls adapted for humans is ready to pass through the Gate of Creation . The Doctor worries about Jones , but Alice says she ' s gonna fly the craft alone . Jones just need to hang in there . The Doctor tries to come up with alternatives , but they are all refused by the Amstron ensign who is very strict about the rules . Ada takes the communicator to say some last words before the departure . But her voice reminds Alice how in 1982 her mother taught her to always speak out if she knows that something is wrong , no matter how hard and painful that might be . This finally brings Alice to the reality that this woman is not her mother . John Jones was Ada ' s favourite singer . The real Ada would have recognised him and would never call him " a boy " . Crying , Alice does speak out . As the Amstron ensign prepares his weapon , " Ada " turns into the familiar figure of the Talent Scout . He gives his usual speech about giving Alice what she wanted and his organisation serving her . He teleports away threatening next time to talk about what the Doctor wants . It ' s time for Alice and Jones to launch . Away they go , though she feels so broken she doesn ' t even want to come back . The other universe is extremely beautiful , so much so that prior Infinite Astronauts just refused to turn away from this unbelievable beauty , which could indeed be described as the face of God . They all just stayed there until their life support ran out . Even Jones is cured from his malaise by the infinite play of colours of this universe . Only Alice cannot see the beauty , not in her state . She turns the starship around and becomes the first Infinite Astronaut ever to return . With tears still streaming down her cheeks , she tells the Amstrons that there is nothing on the other side , just a bunch of stupid lights . From a gallery , the TARDIS crew watch how the Amstron and J ' arrodic negotiator s prepare to sign a peace treaty . To their amazement , a round hole opens up in the armour of the Amstron and a little hamster - like creature jumps out with the offer of peace . Alice cannot help but laugh . Back in the TARDIS , Alice asks why the Talent Scout would do such a cruel thing . The Doctor responds that it ' s impossible for them to guess that until they know how the Scout ' s timeline relates to their own . He decides to visit the headquarters of SERVEYOUinc . Everyone is relatively fine , except for ARC , who remains in the permanent state of fear . Notes . Original print details . " to be added "