Guinevere One (short story)

Guinevere One, prefixed as Operations Board: Guinevere One on the story's page, was the fifteenth short story and twentieth release exclusively published on the U.N.I.T. website in December 2005 by the BBC webteam to coincide with the broadcast of The Christmas Invasion. Guinevere One was the sixth release in the Operations Board series of in-universe chat logs between UNIT personnel.
== Plot ==
Sgt Catherine Petts, on a secure operations board on the UNIT website, wishes everyone a Merry Christmas — and alerts them that "the bloody thing", Guinevere One, has gone missing. Major Richard Blake tells the other officers that he'll notify the PM, saying that she'll use it as an excuse to visit to Tower Ops. Sgt A. Frederick informs tham that Llewellyn has told her that the missing probe was nothing more than a "momentary signal failure", among other things, though she notes he had an odd look about him when he said it.
Petts, somewhat underplaying the seriousness of the occurance, tells them that the aliens have started their own television channel. Frederick tells her to take a "less flippant tone", reminding her that this is major moment for mankind, though Frederick does make a joke herself to lighten the mood. Blake tells them that the PM has now arrived, and that they should be "respectful [and] supportive", but to not let her think that she owns the place.
== Characters ==
* Sgt Catherine Petts
* Major Richard Blake
* Sgt A. Frederick
=== Referenced only ===
* The PM
* Llewellyn
* Anthea Turner
== Worldbuilding ==
* Frederick mentions that the probe went missing from a momentary signal failure, orbital window, and a few other things she didn't name.
* Frederick describes Llewellyn's odd look as a "rabbit-in-big-scary-headlights" look.
* Frederick bets that the Guinevere One is just expensive space junk.
* Frederick is also about to brief the press that "UNIT has no position on Guinevere One[, b]eyond supporting mankind's peaceful expansion into the stars. And building our own secret mission control centre[.]"
* Petts mentions that the aliens' "TV channel" is on "terrestrial, digital, cable, satellite, swanky mobile phones, and even behind the bloody red button."
** Petts jokingly raises a bet on how long until they start trying to sell jewelry on it.
* Frederick tells Petts that the phones are constantly ringing, and that her staff are trying to come up with a "plausible cover story".
* Frederick jokingly puts a tenner on, that within a week, Anthea Turner would have a show on the alien's TV channel.
== Notes ==
* This story provides the forename Richard for Major Blake. Alternately. PROSE: The Christmas Invasion gives the forename Thomas.
* Blake's final reply implies that Catherine Petts and Annie Frederick are present in the Tower of London during TV: The Christmas Invasion, although isn't specific enough to identify any on-screen background characters as the characters.
== Continuity ==
* This story is set during the 2005 episode The Christmas Invasion and is followed by the short story Project Rooftop.
== External links ==
Category:Operations Board short stories
Category:Stories set in 2006
Category:Stories set at Christmas